Article content continued

Those opposed to the sites felt as if there was not enough consultation with members of those communities before the sites were approved and have argued that the majority of overdose deaths come from outside of those communities, meaning sites should be spread more evenly throughout the city to be effective.

Warren Champion, past president of Central McDougall Community League, said by concentrating these sites in the downtown core, officials are turning their backs on the issue of drug overdoses in suburban neighbourhoods.

“Basically, you’re on your own,” said Champion. “You will continue to die.”

Though there is no current plan to put a safe injection site anywhere within the ward’s boundaries, the potential threat from those interested in addressing addiction issues in the suburbs inspired Jeneroux and members of the Calling CC community advocacy group to gather community members for a forum on the subject while circulating a petition that would extend mandatory public consultation periods — currently between 45 and 90 days once the federal health minister receives an application — to avoid past mistakes.

“We can extend it and give people, like the people who showed up today, more of an opportunity to have their voices heard,” Jeneroux said.

While many gathered Saturday expressed feeling “betrayed” and “insulted” by past consultation processes and ignored petitions, others were concerned about the perceived risk associated with having safe injection sites in their suburban communities, including fears over increased criminality and encouraging illegal drug use.