Calgary Councillor Advocates for Provincial Plan to Shutter Supervised Drug-Use Facility
Ward 14 Councillor Landon Johnston is calling on Calgary's city council to symbolically endorse the Alberta government's impending closure of the Sheldon Chumir supervised consumption site, the city's only such facility. His notice of motion, set for discussion at Tuesday's executive committee meeting, aligns with the United Conservative Party government's pledge to shutter the site this year.
Background and Operation of the Controversial Site
The supervised consumption site, operated by the provincial health department Safeworks, opened in fall 2017 as a response to the escalating opioid crisis. Located within the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre, it provides a medically monitored space where individuals can inject drugs under the supervision of nurses, aiming to reduce overdose fatalities and connect users with support services.
Proposed Replacement and Community Concerns
Johnston's motion also proposes replacing the site with an in-person "treatment on demand" opioid dependency program, modeled after Alberta Health Services' existing virtual program. This comes amid significant community division.
Health advocates and addiction support organizations have issued stark warnings that closing Calgary's sole supervised consumption site without an immediate, equivalent replacement will likely lead to increased public drug use and a rise in fatal overdoses. They argue the site has been a critical harm-reduction tool during the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Conversely, many Beltline residents and local businesses have voiced strong opposition to the facility, citing increased social disorder in the surrounding area since its opening. Concerns include a rise in outdoor drug use, public safety issues, and criminal activity, which they attribute to the site's presence.
Political Context and Previous Council Debates
Councillor Johnston has been a vocal proponent of closing the site since before the fall 2025 municipal election. In a September campaign post, he argued the pilot project had failed, stating: "Years later, the results speak for themselves. Instead of helping families heal, the site has spread open drug use into nearby communities, crime has gone up, and overdoses keep rising despite millions in funding."
This is not the first time the site's fate has been debated at city hall. In September 2024, Ward 13 Councillor Dan McLean brought forward a nearly identical motion after the provincial addictions and mental health minister at the time, Dan Williams, suggested the government wanted council's endorsement before proceeding with closure. That motion was defeated in October 2024, with a majority of councillors refusing to make a decision they viewed as falling under provincial jurisdiction.
Johnston's current motion must first pass a technical review at the committee meeting before it can advance to a full council meeting for debate, ensuring the issue remains a lightning rod in Calgary's public safety policy discussions.
