Since May 2021, when the UCP government first announced its plan to close Calgary's sole supervised consumption site (SCS) operated by Safeworks, the facility has responded to thousands of drug poisonings without a single fatality. In fact, no deaths have occurred at any consumption site in Alberta. As a physician, I consider SCS a gold-standard public health intervention, achieving exactly what it is designed to do with 100 percent efficacy. Despite this proven success in saving lives, the UCP remains determined to shutter Safeworks.
On June 8, I attended the Calgary Courts Centre to hear the government's justification for the closure. Instead, Crown lawyer Nate Gartke argued that the government is not obligated to provide a reason, asserting that it can act as it wishes because, he suggested, everyone knows government always acts in the public's best interest. While governments should indeed prioritize public welfare, numerous current examples demonstrate how Alberta is failing to uphold its social safety net commitments. This is evident in legal challenges regarding access to gender-affirming care, income supports, shelter, free healthcare, and questionable procurement practices.
Travis Peddie, a former Safeworks client, is behind the Charter challenge seeking an injunction to keep the site open beyond June 30. Peddie credits his current well-being to SCS, telling me that his young daughter would not be alive today without the referrals to additional services he accessed through Safeworks. In court, Alberta's lawyer suggested that since Peddie is not currently using drugs, he does not need the service he is fighting for. This ignorance about substance-use disorders is startling. I would never tell a patient with coronary artery disease that they can no longer access emergency services because they have already recovered from a heart attack.
Over many years, I have accompanied numerous patients with substance-use disorders through their chronic, relapsing conditions. In court, Gartke argued that there is no way to know if Peddie will relapse. While I dearly hope he never does, just as heart attacks predict future heart attacks, the probability of returning to use for someone with a substance-use disorder is undeniably high. The problem with relapse, which SCS solves, is that people lose tolerance to drugs, putting them at high risk of drug poisoning after a period of abstinence, especially given the unpredictably toxic supply of criminalized substances. This is precisely when an SCS is most needed, and it is exactly why Peddie needs Safeworks to remain open now.
After the hearing, Peddie and a group of supporters exited the courthouse. Taking a deep breath, he expressed feeling okay about the proceedings, noting that you cannot control everything. The group debriefed, with a worker from Reclaim Collective reflecting on how Safeworks and outreach groups have always collaborated to close gaps and break down barriers for community members. These grassroots community builders, who often remain unnamed due to fear of reprisal from employers and society, have been central to Safeworks remaining open after 2021. They have saved more lives than I ever will in my medical career, and they will continue to show up even when society lets them down.
We are hopeful that the court will do the right thing and grant an injunction to keep Safeworks open. It is needed now more than ever for Peddie and others who simply want assurances that critical health services will be available so they can focus on being parents and living their lives.
