Nanaimo City Hall shut down due to concerns over drug consumption site

City Hall shut down over injection site concerns City staff were told to stay home Friday over safety concerns surrounding a controversial “pop-up” drug consumption site set up in the parki

Nanaimo City Hall was shut down Thursday due to concerns about an unauthorized supervised drug consumption site in the parking lot set up by two city councillors.

City Manager Tracy Samra ordered two City Hall buildings to shut down, calling the nearby injection site in the property’s parking lot an unregulated health risk.

“This is a public safety issue for everyone, for staff, for the volunteers, for the users and for the general public,” said Samra. “My obligation is to city staff and to ensure that there’s a safe work place for staff.”

Roughly 60 staff members were told to stay home, forcing the public to use a satellite city office down the street.

Councillors Gord Fuller and Jim Kipp helped set up the makeshift site with help from community members.

Fuller told CTV News he was tired of watching people die from illicit drug overdoses in the Harbour City and wanted to take action.

RCMP’s E Division confirmed Nanaimo Mounties have been monitoring it since it popped up in the parking lot earlier this week.

On Wednesday, fire inspectors ordered that an open flame being used as a heat source in the tent be extinguished.

Responding to the City Hall shutdown, both councillors said the supervised consumption site is anything but a health hazard.

“We’ve found needles here forever, and now it’s a complaint,” said a frustrated Kipp.

“Every time someone comes in and uses our little canopy area, the potential of them dying is far more remote,” said Fuller.

The initiative was sparked to try to combat Nanaimo’s illicit drug overdose crisis. The city has one of the highest rate increases of drug overdose in the province.

Volunteers say since Monday, they’ve seen 25 people safely use in the tent, including Amy Howell.

“You’re guaranteed clean supplies and you’re guaranteed to be in a safe zone if 911 needs calling,” she said.

Only three councillors showed up to a special meeting called by city staff Thursday intended to find a way to proceed with the site, and the meeting was postponed until Jan. 9.

“I understand it could be in violation of the zoning bylaw in its location and proximity,” Samra said.

The buildings were expected to reopen Friday but security will remain on site until a decision is made on what to do.

Island Health said it is in the process of establishing its own overdose prevention site in the city, similar to sites currently operating in Victoria and Vancouver, expected to be up and running in the first week of January.

With a report from CTV Vancouver Island's Jessica Lepp