Afternoon protest near Manitoba Legislature calls for province to support safer consumption sites

A group of about 100 people gathered and danced in a circle to the beat of drumsnear the Manitoba Legislature Thursday afternoon, calling on the Progressive Conservative government to heed calls for supervised consumption sites.

Traffic was blocked at the intersection Broadwayand Osborne Streetfor about 20 minutes by the protest, which began just after 3 p.m.

Knowledge keeper Leslie Spillettsays with people dying due to a toxic drug supply in the city, there is an immediate need for asite that would would give people a safer place to use drugs.

"Weknow that we have solutions in the community that can, if not altogether stop it, at least to reduce the numbers of those unnecessary deaths," she said. "Our youth should not be dyingbecause our drug supply is so toxic."

By not providing a consumption site, the province is complicit in those deaths, said Spillett.

"There is blood on their hands."

Last year, 407Manitobansdied from overdose due to illicit substances likefentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, etizolamor a combinationsubstances, according to data from the chief medical examiner more than any other year.

The provincial government has previously indicated under both former premier Brian Pallister and his successor, Heather Stefanson that it does not plan to allow supervised sites for illicit drug consumption.

In an interview with CBClast week, Stefanson pointed to "unintended consequences" in other jurisdictionsto explainwhyshe does not supportthe creation ofsupervised consumption sites in Manitoba.

A newsrelease from the province last week said it is committed to a "recovery-oriented" model.

The Progressive Conservative government's approach is"to maximize investments in programs and services,"such as the province's rapid access to addictions medicine, or RAAM, clinicsand "ensuring treatment is available to Manitobans when they are ready forrecovery,"the Nov. 10 release said.

Manitoba Harm Reduction Network education co-ordinatorJordyn Sheldon, who organized Thursday'sprotest, saidthe province needs to consult withexperts who advocate for safe consumption sitesand pay attention to scientific evidence, in order to prevent more overdose deaths.

"We are tired of the provincial government not listening to the calls from harm reduction organizations across the province who have made it clear that we need safer consumption sites in order to keep our relatives safe," Sheldon said.

She said the idea for the protest came following the network's recent conference, in which Albert McLeoda two-spirit elder andmember of the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation encouraged organizationsto demand action from the province.

"I hope this sends the message that we are not only committed to loving our relatives and keeping them safe with the little funding that we do get but that we will come to the streets and we will not stop fighting until we get safer consumption, and ultimately until we get safer supply," Sheldon said.