Supervised Consumption Site in Point Douglas?

There is currently an application in progress for a Supervised Consumption Site in Point Douglas. This is the current task of Minister Bernadette Smith as a part of her mandate from the Premier.  The Premier has said “We’ve looked at other jurisdictions.  It is clear that there will be an impact when you open a supervised consumption site in terms of the next few blocks around it… That means it probably can’t go near a school or daycare.” So how is Point Douglas being considered as the right spot for this site? This community has pre-schools, kindergartens, elementary schools, community centres, daycares, women centres and senior centres that support some of the most vulnerable people in Winnipeg.  This is a problem.

Sign this online petition asking Premier Wab Kinew & MLA Bernadette Smith to keep Supervised Consumption Sites at least 1 km away from schools, community centres, daycares, women’s centres and senior centres. Currently there is no mandatory minimum distance between supervised consumption sites from schools or daycares according to the Canada Health Application. The distance we are asking for is 1 km and that is approximately a 15 minute walk or a 5 minute bike ride, and less than the 1.6 km distance that students would walk before bus transportation is provided in the Winnipeg School Division.

This is not a petition debating drugs and it is definitely not debating the sites themselves.  Point Douglas is a neighbourhood that cares a lot about people and their struggles.  This is a petition asking to protect vulnerable people in our neighbourhood from the impact that the Premier says we should expect.