A safe inhalation site is among New Westminster’s priorities for addressing the addiction, mental health and homelessness crises.
At its Feb. 10 meeting, council voted 5-2 in support of recommendations related the city’s crises response pilot project – a five-year prevention, support and transition services plan and a 10-year supportive housing and wrap-around services plan. The five-year plan includes four priorities, including advocating for additional temporary emergency shelter capacity and advocating for a health connect and resources centre outside the downtown.
But it was staff’s recommendation that the city advocate to the Ministry of Health and the Fraser Health Authority for the incorporation of indoor inhalation services in the downtown that caused tempers – and emotions – to flare in council chambers on Monday night. At one point, Mayor Patrick Johnstone called for a five-minute recess so council members could “take a deep breath.”
The proposed indoor inhalation space is being considered within the existing health contact centre on Alexander Street in downtown New Westminster. That space currently provides a variety of services, including witnessed consumption and drug checking.
John Stark, the city’s manager of social planning, said this service is being proposed in response to the increasing prevalence of inhalation as the preferred method of drug transmission, as opposed to injection.
According to a recent report from the BC Coroners Service, smoking was the most common mode of consumption (67 per cent) of people who died of unregulated drugs in 2024.
The city’s July 2022 homelessness action strategy and the October 2024 crises response pilot project report both cited the need for an inhalation centre in New Westminster. In presentations about the crises response pilot project, staff have noted that providing services such as homes and an inhalation centre would address some of the “externalities” associated with having people sleeping and/or doing drugs outdoors near homes and businesses.
The Feb. 10 staff report said the city’s advocacy on this front would include conducting a building code analysis to determine if the proposed building is structurally feasible to incorporate such services. It would also include a cost estimate about required building code upgrades, including the ventilation and the air-exchange system.
If the project is deemed to be feasible and if funding is available, the city would expedite building permit inspections to support program delivery. If it’s not feasible, the city will work with the Fraser Health Authority and the non-profit operator to explore an alternate location for these “important” harm-reduction services.
Brad Davie, the city’s deputy fire chief, said the city has been looking at the existing health contact centre as the location for this service for a variety of reasons, including the fact that services are already provided on-site so supports are already in place.
At Monday’s meeting, staff responded to a number of questions from councillors Paul Minhas and Daniel Fontaine.
What’s proposed?
Davie said the proposed inhalation space would be located in a 20- by 15-foot space at one end of the existing health contact centre, which includes an overdose prevention site.
“It will be a separate, isolated booth for consumption,” he said. “The staff will be separated from the consumption area. That is a WorkSafe requirement.”
Before an inhalation centre opens, Davie said WorkSafeBC would assess the site and make sure it is safe for the staff. In the event staff are needed to enter the consumption area, he said they would have respirators and a ventilation system ensures their safety.
Will there be continuous monitoring?
Like the overdose prevention site, Davie said Fraser Health would provide funding for continuous monitoring of people who are using their drugs.
Davie said the proposed inhalation centre in New West would not have separate booths.
“Fraser Health has been very clear: they're not going to have independent booths. They want a communal area for socialization of drug inhalation,” he said. “So, this will be one large booth that will accommodate several people in an open and clear space so they can continue to socialize while they're consuming their drugs. The health authority is trying to avoid the individual booth system.”
In addition to allowing for proper socialization, such as allowing couples to use drugs together, Davie said an open space is considered to be safer for everyone, including patrons and staff.
Will there be doctors or nurses in the inhalation centre?
Like the existing health contact centre, Davie said no doctors or nurses will be on staff.
“Currently, the site is supervised by trained staff from the health contact centre,” he said. “They have quite a few staff members on site that are trained in addressing the population appropriately. They've been managing this site for several years.”
In the event of overdoses, Davie said the centre’s staff call 911. No deaths have been reported at the site.
Advocate supports city’s plan
Guy Felicella, a harm reduction and recovery advocate, urged council to support the plan. As a former drug user who had to be brought back to life six times and is now approaching 12 years of sobriety, he supports a full continuum of care that includes harm reduction services and access to detox and treatment services, housing and other supports
“We have to remember that right now in the province of British Columbia, between the ages of 10 to 59 the number 1 cause of death is that unregulated drug supply,” he told council Monday night. “So, sadly, we are losing our loved ones, family members and friends.”
Felicella said “addiction is a chronic relapsing condition” so many people go into treatment and later relapse. He said a harm-reduction safety net needs to be in place, so they don’t die of a toxic drug supply when they relapse.
“We have to have those harm reduction services available in our communities to get people to recover or try again,” he said. “Because, sadly, people are dying faster than they can recover.”
Having been to inhalation sites in Vancouver, Victoria and Lisbon, Portugal, Felicella supports the creation of an inhalation service in New West.
“In British Columbia, more people are dying from smoking their drugs, not injecting their drugs, and so they are using alone because they can't access the services inside a supervised consumption site,” he said. “These facilities are crucial for us to bridge the gaps to harm reduction services.”
What about detox services?
Longtime New West resident David Brett, appearing as a delegation at Monday’s meeting, said resources should be directed to detox services, rather than an inhalation site.
“That should be made the priority, not ‘safe’ consumption, because there is no safe consumption. It's all potentially deadly. People can die and experience all kinds of comorbidities from drug use,” he said. “So, I would say that that detox and the pathway to recovery needs to be the number one priority.”
While the staff report dose not reference detox services, Davie said it’s something that is covered in the 10-year plan and is referenced in attachments to the main report to council.
How did council vote?
At Monday’s meeting, council voted 5-2 in favour of two staff recommendations. The motion directs staff to
- Inform resident, business and community groups regarding the best practice principles that guide the five-year prevention, support and transition services plan and the 10-year supportive housing and wrap-around services plan.
- Work with resident, business and community groups to advocate for the actions as recommended in the 2025 crises response roadmap.
Minhas voted against the recommendation.
“Opposing an inhalation centre in the heart of downtown is vital, especially given the concentration of numerous social programs already in that area. While these programs aim to provide support, adding an inhalation centre could compound existing issues without addressing the root problems associated with illicit hard drug use,” he said. “The presence of such a facility may lead to increased disturbances for neighbouring residents, including noise, loitering and heightened crime rates. This could create an environment of fear and discomfort, driving families and individuals away from a once vibrant community.”
Fontaine also opposed the staff recommendation for a variety of reasons, including the concentration of services in the downtown and the need to consult with residents and businesses about what’s being proposed. He said many people are likely unaware about the proposed inhalation centre.
“There are great components within it. There are some fantastic areas, but it comes as a package; it is an entire package,” he said. “And for me, I cannot raise my hand tonight and tell the people of the downtown that yet another social service, and this time an illicit consumption centre for inhalation, was going to be coming into their neighbourhood.”
Fontaine said he would like to see more emphasis on detox services in the city’s plan.
Coun. Nadine Nakagawa asked her colleagues to take responsibility for getting informed about drug use and to “stop stoking fear and division in order to make political points on the backs of some of the most marginalized people in our community.” She said she’s received emails from community members who have received “false information” about what’s being proposed.
“Jay, Michael, Trevor, Paige, Tony – these are the people in my life who have died because of the poisoned drug crisis,” she said. “If you have not been touched by this crisis, then thank your lucky stars.”
Nakagawa said the city needs to do what it can to address the crises.
“People don't just disappear. Unless they die,” she said.
Nakagawa said the city has discussed its crises response pilot project since first approving the initiative on Oct. 30, 2023. She said Moms Stop the Harm, B.C.’s provincial health officer, and the province’s former chief coroner have all advocated of the types of services proposed in the city’s crises response pilot project.
Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Nakagawa, Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson and Jaimie McEvoy supported the staff recommendation. Stay tuned for related stories in the Record on the city’s overall plans for the crises response pilot project.
