Supervised consumption site receives support at Saskatoon meeting

More than 150 people attended a Saskatoon town hall where many speakers voiced support for the Prairie Harm Reduction supervised consumption site; its director said the clinic served over 1,000 clients last year and staff reversed more than 150 overdoses.

More than 150 people attended a town hall in Saskatoon to discuss safety concerns near the Prairie Harm Reduction supervised consumption site. The meeting was held ahead of the site's annual exemption renewal from Health Canada that allows supervised drug consumption. Organizers included Saskatoon West MP Brad Redekopp, the Riversdale Business Improvement District and the West Saskatoon Business Association. Speakers included business owners, academic researchers and residents who described local disorder and also expressed support for the agency. Key details: - The meeting attracted more than 150 attendees and was recorded by MP Brad Redekopp, who said he will compile comments to present to Health Canada. - Many speakers cheered and applauded in support of Prairie Harm Reduction during the town hall. - Kayla DeMong, executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction, said she agreed with much of what was said and reported the clinic served over 1,000 clients last year (a 22 per cent increase) and that staff reversed more than 150 overdoses. - Several business owners described vandalism and unsanitary conditions near their premises, while some said they could not directly link those problems to the clinic. - A letter shared on social media invited business owners to recount incidents including criminal activity and discarded needles and mentioned Prairie Harm Reduction specifically. - A small number of academic researchers spoke about evidence on supervised consumption sites, and some speakers later said they had not been formally invited to the event. Summary: The town hall highlighted a mix of concerns about local disorder and determined support for the Prairie Harm Reduction supervised consumption site, and participants emphasized housing and community responses as part of the discussion. MP Brad Redekopp will compile the meeting comments and present them to Health Canada as part of the exemption renewal process.