ManitobaWinnipeg residents living and working in the area where the province plans to put a supervised consumption site voiced their frustrations during a public meeting Tuesday.Government vows to do more consultation amid concerns from local residents, business ownersArturo Chang · CBC · Posted: Dec 09, 2025 8:56 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.The Manitoba government announced last week it’s picked 366 Henry Ave. — a largely commercial area several blocks west of Main Street and hundreds of metres away from any schools — as the new proposed location for the province’s 1st supervised consumption site. (Gavin Axelrod/CBC)Winnipeg residents living and working in the area where the province plans to put a supervised consumption site voiced their frustrations during a public meeting Tuesday.Homelessness and Addictions Minister Bernadette Smith and a panel that included representatives from Shared Health, Winnipeg police and other officials took questions about the new proposed location for the site at 366 Henry Ave.Joseph Fourre, founder of fentanyl-awareness non-profit Singing Red Bear Foundation, said he grew up in the area and his mother still lives there.”I firmly believe like Winnipeg really is not a large enough centre for a consumption site,” Fourre told CBC after the meeting. “We can probably use those dollars more effectively in trying to help people with addiction.”The NDP government initially planned the site for 200 Disraeli Freeway — an area east of Main Street close to homeless shelters. But residents there protested, partly because the site is close to a high school and child-care centre, and the government backed down.Some of the several dozen people who attended the public meeting held at Siloam Mission’s Buhler Centre Tuesday raised similar concerns about the site come to their neighbourhood, citing crime and public drug use. The turnout ” just shows the compassion that people have for their neighbourhood,” Fourre said. “Not all of it was about hating on the drug addict.… We just need to find a better way to to serve our most vulnerable.”Province ready to ‘move on’ if location not supported: ministerThe government announced the new location last week. It would be in what’s largely a commercial area several blocks west of Main Street and hundreds of metres away from any schools.A brochure distributed in the area in recent days said safety is a key concern.”Once high, where do these people end up? Do they leave the building and walk around the area? Will they have health-care professionals escort them back home?” the brochure reads.Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said the government is ready to ‘move on’ from the proposed site if the community speaks out. (Prabhjot Singh Lotey/CBC)Smith told reporters Tuesday said the government would be ready to “move on” from 366 Henry Avenue if the community speaks out and it isn’t the right place.But the minister added the data supports the location, saying the majority of overdoses in the city happen in that area.”Police are going to have a presence. Downtown Safety Community Patrol are going to have a presence,” she said. “You’re not going to see as much open drug use outside because this is bringing people inside to consume their drugs, create relationships and get people ultimately off of their substances.”The province said multiple community and health partners will manage incidents that don’t require a police response by doing things like having a visible presence, providing safe walks or rides and removing garbage and waste around the site.Portage la Prairie MLA Jeff Bereza — addictions critic for the Progressive Conservatives — attended the meeting, which he said showed residents are overwhelmingly saying “not in my backyard.” “I think one of the things that really come out here tonight, was that the community deserves to know,” he said, criticizing the government for not properly informing the community the consultation would be taking place.”There wasn’t a lot of questions that were answered here tonight at all,” he said. “I think the community deserves that.”Bereza didn’t answer questions on whether the NDP should discard the consumption site model entirely. More consultation coming, premier saysTwo public consultations on the proposal — including another one to be held via Zoom on Thursday — were announced on Friday last week. Premier Wab Kinew said earlier Tuesday there will be at least one additional meeting tentatively set for next week and focusing on business concerns.Kinew said the government is open to delaying the site’s opening beyond January — the timeline initially proposed.”Just over the weekend, we heard from community [members] who are saying ‘We need more time,”‘ Kinew told reporters.”Given the fact we’re extending the consultations, I think we’re realistically also willing to delay opening maybe by a few weeks, hopefully. That would be enough time to address the desire for people to weigh in and also for us to respond to what we hear.”The province said a vehicle located at 355 Henry would provide services until the building is renovated and is ready to use later in the year.With files from Felisha Adam and The Canadian Press
As public consultations begin, province says it could delay opening of Winnipeg supervised consumption site
