No NDP timeline for Calgary consumption sites; Swann says money is the barrier

The NDP Government says it’s too early to say when, where and how many supervised injection sites will be in Calgary and that they can’t give a best-case scenario.

Earlier this week, the province announced plans for four sites in Edmonton to open within a year with federal approval, as the opioid crisis continues to have a chaotic effect on Alberta and other provinces.

On Friday, Associate Minister of Health Brandy Payne said even if the capital city locations open on time, there’s no idea on a Calgary timeline.

“It’s really hard to predict,” Payne said, adding the group submitting the application to the federal government has been working on the project for five years. “It is certainly our hope that this is one of those situations where the first example takes the longest.”

When asked if 2020 would be a reasonable time for Calgary sites, Payne reiterated it’s too difficult to say, adding they’re also waiting on possible changes to federal rules and pointed out Edmonton is into the community engagement process.

But Liberal Leader David Swann, a co-author of Alberta’s Mental Health Review, said the only real barrier is funding.

“We had a group here, an inter-agency group going for a couple of years, we have a group that’s been focused specifically on safe injection sites for six months,” he said. “All that we need is the funding.

“That could happen right away.”

Swann said if the money was there, a site or multiple sites could be open within 12 months, the same as the current goal for the Edmonton locations.

Payne was also asked if Calgary would likely have more than one site, but still said it’s too early to speculate.

Swann said multiple sites are required because of mobility and the city’s opioid usage.

“It appears particularly on the opioid side that Calgary has the larger population of need here,” he said. “We’re going to need at least as much as Edmonton and probably more.”

Payne said ultimately the services must include community consultation.

“There’s also groups here in Calgary that are beginning the process, but it’s at a different stage at this point and certainly we’ll be looking at a variety of options moving forward,” she said.