About 50 residents held a protest at Victoria City Hall on Thursday morning, in response to council's plan to fast-track and allow social services/supervised drug consumption sites anywhere in the city without consultation.
Residents converge on Victoria City Hall Thursday to protest drug consumption sites
By Lisa Best
North Park homeowner & group spokesperson Josh Montgomery says they are extremely disappointed that council chose to forgo any consultation with our neighbourhood.
"Under the City's own policy this site would not meet approval for a cannabis shop because the building is well within 200-meters of a school. But the city allows a centre for street drug consumption such as heroin and fentanyl, it makes no sense."
The group says Victoria Council recently committed $2.1-million dollars to SOLID Outreach Society to buy and operate a permanent low barrier centre at 2155 Dowler Place for the city's homeless and addicted population. The centre will also contain an illicit drug consumption site.
Montgomery also points out operators of permanent consumption sites must seek approval from Health Canada. "The federal government demands extensive community consultation -- and that has not happened."