The value of a supervised consumption site in the heart of Victoria-Victoria is the value of a supervised consumption site-is it a life-saving tool, or a magnet for drug dealers who suffer from an encroachment on the site door?
Victoria Coun. Marg Gardiner stated that this feature “is a draw for both drugs and drug dealers, who hunting between weakened and sick people in three blocks with Pendora Avenue.
“This is Victoria’s downtown eastuside,” he said in an interview, Pendora compared to the Vancouver neighborhood is plagued with crime, poverty and addiction.
Gardiner made a proposal before the council this week, which was formally requesting Victoria to request the Island Health to close the facility with another pass facility by 31 August.
The council stopped any request and the issue was postponed by 6 November. Mayor Marien Alto said that the time was needed to gather evidence for “well informed discussion” about the “very complex” issue like supervised sites.
The speed of the gardener was given Dr. last month. Reka Gustafson, the island was inspired by the Chief Medical Health Officer of Health by a presentation in the council.
Gustafson stated that “most people who use substances” are not using pendora feature, saying that about 80 people are using breathing services at the site each day.
“The estimated number of people using Opiates in British Columbia is 225,000,” he said. “So, I think it is really important that most people who use substances and those who are dying of toxins are not those who are visible to us, not necessarily those who are not the people about whom we often talk about.”
For gardiner, Gustafson’s comments mean that users of convenience “are regular customers” while most of them do not look for feature “on 900 blocks of Pendora”.
The island health did not respond to an request for an interview directly about Gustafson’s comments, but provided a statement describing the value of the consumption site.
Many people believe 800 to 1,000 blocks of Pendora Avenue that Victoria’s homeless challenge with several tents and other sleep structures installed with its pavements.
Bicycles and shopping vehicles filled with goods are standing nearby. Portable fencing is established to separate from nearby churches and other businesses.
Alto said that the delay in the speed of the gardener would get time to implement its recently approved community security and goodness scheme, including several items to address the section of Pendora Avenue.
Earlier this month, the Mayor announced the plan that would put more police and bilav officers, temporary housing and cleanliness as it tries to reduce crime, homeless and addiction.
The supervised consumption site, known as The Harbor, first opened its doors in June 2018, which was prescribed as Victoria’s first facility under a federal exemption for the controlled drug and matter act that is scheduled to end in 2027.
This feature oversees people who consume drugs through their nose, mouth, injections and inhalation, so that they can get immediate treatment in the event of overdose. It also provides the supply of safe drug use, drug testing, loss-loss supply and disadvantages and disadvantages between other services.
The Island Health, which operates the facility in a partnership with the lookout Housing and Health Society and the Solid Outreach Society, said in his statement that the feature “is part of evidence-based health services that reduce adverse results and deaths for people using substances.”
Island Health said that this facility received around 3,000 trips from 445 different people in June. It states that three drug poison occurred inside the convenience with any death or adverse incidents last month.
Preliminary information from the BC Center for Disease Control shows that seven overdose prevention and supervised consumption sites have postponed the estimated 2,140 deaths between January 2019 and October 2024.
As of June 10, 2025, Greater Victoria has recorded 36 overdose deaths, below 161 in 2024 and below 175 in 2023.
Gardiner said in an interview that she knew that the council’s possibility of supporting her closed pace was “quite low,” but defended it saying “the general public would have to know what is going on” at Pendora.
She said she believes that consumption sites are not working, and she suggests that they should be completely closed instead of moving elsewhere.
Supervised consumption sites have failed, the gardener said, “Especially against the background of fatal opioid fentinyl, which he said that Victoria’s drug subculture was a” game-chain “.
“Generalization of illegal drugs is harmful to individuals, who fall prey to drug addiction,” he said. “It is harmful to their families, and it is harmful to society on a large scale. If this council is committed to a safe city, it should be more than increasing enforcement by supporting the use of illegal medicine behind the closed door, because we are doing it.”
Alto said during the debate that Deferal of the Motion gave time to discuss the future of facility in the health sector with not only island health, but also with the province and other actors.
He would be able to gather some evidence to “well informed discuss” and allow them to adjust the speed.
Alto said, “I would say that I am already interacting with those (BC Health Minister) Josi Osborne,” Osborne said on Thursday that Osborne had indicated a desire to continue the conversation with Pendora Avenue.
Gardiner protested against Difrel, saying that Victoria “does not want to wait for one and two years” before Victoria takes a decision “.
The island health did not comment on dif by.
“Island Health is aware of the recent proposal before Victoria City Council,” it said in its statement.
