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P.E.I.’s initial decision to ‘tolerate,’ ‘contain’ public drug use near outreach centre reversed, says minister

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CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Housing Minister Rob Lantz says the province initially decided to “tolerate” public drug use close to the neighborhood outreach centre in Charlottetown, earlier than reversing course.

Because it opened on Euston Avenue on the website of the previous Charlottetown curling membership in 2021, many close by residents have raised points with the Group Outreach Centre, together with elevated police calls within the space, discarded needles and more and more obvious drug use close by.

The opposition of many native residents has reached a fever pitch since final winter. A whole lot have packed into native conferences about the way forward for the centre. Many have referred to as for the centre to maneuver or to shut. The director of the Journey Group, which operates the centre, has mentioned she would really like the centre moved.

The centre supplies day programming to among the most weak and poor residents of Charlottetown, a few of whom are fighting habit.

Talking through the debate on a movement on Nov. 14, Lantz mentioned he had mentioned the matter with workers through the summer season.

“I feel a choice was made, effectively, if we will comprise that right here maybe it’ll reduce down on a few of that public look, public nuisance, public hazard. However I don’t assume that was a smart determination. It was well-intentioned however ultimately that was reversed,” Lantz mentioned.

It was not clear when the choice round “containing” drug use across the outreach centre was made or by whom.

The choice to determine the outreach centre on Euston Avenue was made below former minister Brad Trivers. The service additionally operated for a couple of 12 months below Matt MacKay, the previous social growth and housing minister.

Management at the Community Outreach Centre in Charlottetown wants the facility moved to a new location. - Logan MacLean/SaltWire file
Administration on the Group Outreach Centre in Charlottetown desires the ability moved to a brand new location. – Logan MacLean/SaltWire file

Talking throughout query interval on Nov. 15, Opposition Chief Hal Perry took difficulty with Lantz’s feedback.

“Basically, he admitted that he was absolutely conscious the outreach centre is an enormous drawback. And he admitted that he had identified about this unbelievable mismanagement by a do-nothing authorities for a lot of months,” Perry mentioned.

Perry requested why Lantz allowed the usage of medication to proceed.

“Yesterday, I talked about open drug use all through town and the way that is been enabled by a directive from the federal authorities that prohibits prosecuting easy drug possession and use,” Lantz mentioned. “I’ve admitted that the outreach centre has actually outgrown its supposed goal.”

In 2020, legal professionals with the federal Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued a directive urging prosecutors to keep away from prosecuting easy possession of unlawful medication.

This determination got here after years of the opioid epidemic from coast to coast, which has resulted in tens of 1000’s of deaths due partly to a contaminated illicit drug provide.

Hurt discount advocates throughout Canada have argued for years that criminalization of possession has offered a barrier to therapy for people fighting habit.

Opposition Leader Hal Perry took issue with the admission by Housing Minister Rob Lantz that public drug use was tolerated at or near the Community Outreach Centre. - Stu Neatby/SaltWire file
Opposition Chief Hal Perry took difficulty with the admission by Housing Minister Rob Lantz that public drug use was tolerated at or close to the Group Outreach Centre. – Stu Neatby/SaltWire file

In P.E.I., after the controversy surrounding the outreach centre, some neighbourhood residents have begun arguing that hurt discount doesn’t work and that the service must be shuttered solely.

“It is a very troublesome difficulty. It isn’t distinctive to Charlottetown or to anyplace in Prince Edward Island,” Lantz instructed the legislature on Nov. 15. 

“How we cope with that is going to be a really troublesome answer. It is a complicated drawback. We’re transferring ahead with skilled recommendation on how you can serve the weak inhabitants on Prince Edward Island.”

Lantz additionally mentioned the choice to tolerate drug use was “a really poor determination” and mentioned it has been reversed. He mentioned there’s presently a zero-tolerance coverage in impact for each drug and alcohol use on the grounds of the outreach centre.

A couple of hours after query interval, Lantz appeared to contradict what he had instructed the Home in an interview with reporters

“I am undecided a choice was made to tolerate drug use on the property. Sooner or later it got here to a head that we realized it was taking place,” Lantz mentioned.

Lantz additionally argued that an enforcement-focused method to illicit medication is unlikely to succeed.

“Open public drug use with impunity – it is one thing we’ve got to stay with in the interim below the circumstances that we’ve got,” Lantz mentioned. 

“However we must also take into account that we do not have secure injection providers right here now. And that may be a giant part of giving individuals a spot to go who’re actively within the throws of habit to go someplace secure.”

The King authorities’s present plan entails relocating the outreach centre to the location of a 50-bed emergency shelter at a former authorities storage on Park St. 

However to do that, the Metropolis of Charlottetown might want to present a allow. It’s unclear if town plans to grant this allow.

On Nov. 14, Lantz mentioned the appliance to town was anticipated to be submitted to town that day.


Stu Neatby is a political reporter with SaltWire in Prince Edward Island. He might be reached by electronic mail at [email protected] and adopted on X @stu_neatby.



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