A commentary by a past co-chair of the Port Alberni Community Action Team.

Victoria Coun. Marg Gardiner is preparing to call for the closure of the city’s overdose prevention site, The Harbour, citing the fact that people are using illicit drugs there.

That’s not a scandal. That’s the entire point.

The Harbour, operated by Island Health since 2018 under a federal exemption, is a supervised consumption site designed to allow people who use drugs from the street to do so in a medically monitored setting.

Trained staff and peer workers are on hand to reverse overdoses, provide health care and mental health support, and connect people with long-term treatment and housing.

It exists because people are dying alone, every day, from a poisoned drug supply. Because prevention, compassion, and public health matter more........

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