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“So the debate, when you listen to it, seems to be more around where, not so much if.”

Some on the UCP-appointed panel tasked with reviewing supervised consumption services have argued for less emphasis on harm reduction in responding to the opioid crisis, in favour of improved access to treatment and recovery programs. Premier Jason Kenney has said the government’s review would determine if existing sites “should be relocated.”

Neufeld praised a recent announcement by the UCP to provide funding for 4,000 new addiction treatment spaces in the province. With an average of two people in Alberta dying each day from opioid use, he said it’s important to provide “off-ramps” for people stuck in the “addiction cycle.”

“The evidence on (supervised consumption sites) show that they do save lives for situations like the opioid crisis. And now we’re starting to see some additional services come on board,” he said.

Brendan Miller/Postmedia

In October, the Calgary site saw 1,221 unique clients across 6,183 visits. Drugs were consumed on site under the supervision of registered nurses or paramedics 5,311 times, and staff provided almost 300 overdose response kits containing Naloxone.

Crime around the Chumir spiked in late 2018 and early this year. Despite crime rates beginning to stabilize, Neufeld said calls for service in the neighbourhood, especially for disorder-type concerns, remain elevated compared with past years.

Calgary police deployed 10 officers and a sergeant to the area in response to outcry from nearby residents and business owners. Neufeld said that team has proactively sought to establish relationships with those who are struggling, often connecting them with agencies that can provide assistance, if they are ready to accept help.