Red Deer overdose prevention site set to close after judge rules against extending injunction
The future of the overdose prevention site in Red Deer has been called into question following a recent decision by Justice C.A. Rickards of Court of King’s Bench. The judge denied a request by Aaron Brown, a man with opioid use disorder, to keep the OPS open beyond March 31. This decision comes after a previous ruling in January granted an interim injunction to keep the site open 24/7 until the end of March.
Brown argued that the closure of the OPS would violate his Charter rights, but the judge stated in his decision that there was no real probability that Brown would suffer unavoidable irreparable harm if the site were to close. Brown’s lawyer, Avnish Nanda, has filed an appeal of the judge’s ruling, which is set to be heard on April 16. The full hearing on the OPS closure is scheduled for June, where further arguments will be presented.
The OPS, which has been operating in a trailer outside the Safe Harbour Society’s homeless shelter in downtown Red Deer since 2018, has been a point of contention in the community. Red Deer city council passed a motion in February 2024 requesting the province to shut down the site after a public hearing where the majority of presenters advocated for its continued operation.
The Alberta government announced in September that it would be cutting funding to the OPS and closing the site at the end of March. Instead, drug users will have access to a team of paramedics and nurses in the area to address overdoses, as well as a new mobile addiction medicine clinic. Recovery coaches are also available inside the Safe Harbour Shelter to connect individuals with necessary services, and additional detox beds are being funded by the province.
Despite the pending appeal, Mental Health and Addiction Minister Dan Williams has stated that the OPS will be closing next month. NDP MLA Janet Eremenko, the Opposition critic for mental health and addiction, expressed disappointment at the decision to close the site, emphasizing its role in saving lives by preventing overdose deaths.
Lawyer Nanda expressed Brown’s disappointment with the recent ruling, highlighting the importance of OPS sites in providing a lifeline for individuals struggling with addiction. The ongoing debate over the closure of the OPS underscores the complex issues surrounding harm reduction and addiction treatment in the community.
