Richmond City Council votes for supervised consumption site

After two nights of heated discourse, Richmond City Council passed a motion Tuesday night to consider implementing a supervised consumption site.

More than one hundred people spoke in front of council, many of them protesting the motion to move ahead with looking into the site. Antics from the public in attendance included shouting, clapping and booing.

The motion, which passed 7-2, states city staff will conduct an “analysis to gauge the potential benefits and challenges” of implementing such a site at the Richmond General Hospital.

Dozens of Richmond residents who appeared in front of council, in-person and virtually, were opposed to the establishment of the site and expressed concerns that it would have negative impacts on their neighbourhood.

The rise in toxic drug deaths in B.C. in recent years was referred to by many speakers as proof that supervised consumption sites are not helpful.

But experts say the two statistics cannot be conflated. Out of the more than 2,500 people who were killed by toxic drugs in 2023, only one death was recorded at a supervised consumption site.

In accordance with the motion, staff will collaborate with Coastal Health, the provincial and federal governments, local healthcare providers and community organizations to establish the site.

A task force will also be formed to determine best practices and protocols for the site, and campaigns will be created to dispel misconceptions surrounding the sites.

Staff will also develop a process to ensure community concerns are heard during planning and implementation, the motion states.