Tensions reach boiling point at public meeting on new supervised injection site in Charlottetown

A public meeting on expanding services at the Park Street Emergency Shelter in Charlottetown, P.E.I., turned chaotic several times Wednesday night.

Housing Minister Rob Lantz was shoved by an angry resident who wanted the shelter moved from his neighborhood. Members of the crowd stepped in to stop the attack, some taking kicks in the process. Two police showed up at the meeting following the altercation.

Lantz said he was not injured in the incident.

The meeting focused on adding a supervised injection site to the shelter. Over 200 people were in attendance, most voicing their opposition against the proposal.

The provincial government calls it an "overdose prevention site." Clients would be able to take drugs they've obtained themselves at facility. Those drugs would be tested for the presence of dangerous substances such as fentanyl.

PEERS Alliance will run the facility.

The supervised injection site was to be located 22 Belmont Street, but at a public meeting that took place during the spring election campaign, the PC Party candidate for the district said the site would be going elsewhere.

Many people who live near the Park Street location said Wednesday night they don't want it there either.

"I don't think it is a good program to start with," said Tommy Ford. "B.C. is in a drug crisis and the program out there is not working, so this program is not going to work.

"Most of the people we talked to, or talked to us about this program, they are all basing everything on their job. They don't want the crisis to go away. They want the crisis because it is work for them."

There were 36 accidental opioid-related overdoses in P.E.I. in 2022, according to the province's website. Four people died due to overdose.

Numbers for accidental or unintentional overdoses involving opioids do not include those that occurred as a result of intentional self-inflicted harm.

Shawn Martin, harm reduction coordinator with the Chief Public Health Office, said it's hard to know the true number of overdoses in the province because many go unreported.

While most people who spoke at the meeting were against site, some community members said it's needed to help those at risk.