Users should be asked to travel to a more appropriate location
By Letter to the Editor on February 6, 2019.
I am resident of the SE Hill and live only three blocks away from 502 S. Railway Street. Now before people think that I don’t care about individuals with addiction and whether they die or not I will state that I approve of and see the benefit to supervised consumption sites. That said, some individuals in favour of the chosen location for the site have claimed that we who oppose it are more concerned with falling property values than saving lives. Is there really a problem with being concerned about the value of our homes and businesses? I don’t think so. Many people have already worked or will work decades to pay for their home or business in the area. These hard-working people are what make Medicine Hat a great place to live. We are law-abiding citizens who pay taxes and now are subjected to further subsidizing the treatment of addiction at the expense of our families — costing us with a lower level of safety for my children and the reduction of the value of my home. The voices of those who live close to the new location have been ignored. Leslie Hill of HIV Community Link stated that they reached out to “immediate” neighbours through phone calls, door knocking, 6,000 postcards and other materials left. Apparently three blocks away isn’t “immediate” enough, as myself and none of my neighbours on Sixth Avenue were contacted. Life is hard for everyone. Sometimes people fall into negative lifestyles and addiction and we need to help them. There are services and locations already available to help people with addiction. If a safe injection site is going to help then great, I just think we should consider where we are putting it. Common sense says that it’s not too much to ask those who want and need the service to travel to a more appropriate location. Preferably one that isn’t right next to a residential area. Please MP Motz and MLAs Wanner and Barnes, help us find a better solution to the chosen location. Dane Cutforth Medicine Hat 7-6
I think the best location is in the new (detox) residential treatment center.
It is removed from most retail businesses and people can seek real counseling for help there. If the main goal of government is to help people, this location offers the best possible chance of that service.
I have always questioned why the treatment center location was never chosen.