Minors will not be allowed to use Manitoba’s supervised drug consumption site, although staff may have to use their own judgment for young-looking people without identification, the province’s addictions minister said Monday.
“They know their community, obviously, they’ve been working in and around community for over 30 years … and if they deem that that person is not of the appropriate age, they will refer them to the appropriate services,” Bernadette Smith told reporters.
The site is expected to open within a few weeks in central Winnipeg and has attracted controversy since it was initially proposed in 2024. The NDP government originally planned another location, east of Main Street, but backed off after area residents complained it was too close to a school and homes.
The new site, a few blocks west of Main Street, is in a more commercial area but is also facing opposition from nearby businesses and residents. For both sites, the proposed operator has been the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre, a local non-profit.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives said minors will be able to get in. They tabled portions of the 2024 application to Health Canada regarding the original site.
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The documents proposed allowing people who appear to be as young as 16 to use the site if they showed obvious signs of physical addiction. The documents also said identification would not be required for any users, and family members would not be informed without the user’s consent.
Opponents of the new site say the government has not provided updated details on how it plans to control access by minors and ensure security around the property.
The government has said a supervised consumption site is needed to address the growing number of overdose deaths in Winnipeg and reduce the amount of people using drugs out in the open. The site would not provide drugs, but would offer drug testing and a space to use, by injection, specifically, under the eye of staff.
The Tories have opposed the site, saying the government should focus fully on treatment.
“We need to help people out of this cycle of addiction, not provide a space to continue to consume drugs,” Opposition leader Obby Khan said.
Premier Wab Kinew accused the Tories of mixed messages on the topic. In question period, he tabled a 2022 article in which Stephen Carter, recently hired to manage the next election campaign for the Manitoba Tories, is quoted as saying he supports safe injection sites.
“You can have your PC election campaign manager, or you can have your opposition to supervised consumptions sites, but you can’t have both,” Kinew said.
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