Okanagan mayors urge Province to challenge public drug use injunction

A group of mayors in the Okanagan are voicing their concerns about a recent BC Supreme Court injunction regarding public drug use.

The December injunction suspended the enforcement of Bill 34, the Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act.

The Act was passed in Victoria a month earlier and it allowed fines and potential jail time for those who consumed drugs in certain public places where it was deemed illegal.

In the letter from nine Okanagan mayors to Premier David Eby, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth and Attorney General Niki Sharma, the regional leaders expressed disappointment in the BC Supreme Court decision.

“While we recognize and respect the Courts’ independence in its decision, we urge the Province to continue on the path that balances the needs of broader community health and safety in your consideration of the Province’s next legal steps and to preserve the continued enactment of Bill 34,” the letter reads.

The mayors said they were pleased when the legislation was tabled and advanced to Royal Assent, calling it a clear response from the government after hearing concerns from leaders around BC.

“We see, hear and experience the impacts of the opioid crisis, the public health emergency, decriminalization policies and gaps in the health and mental health care systems each and every day on our streets,” it continues.

“We understand the drive from various public interest groups for compassion and efforts to remove stigma for those who use illicit substances. In the absence of the provincial health system providing sufficient treatment centres and harm reduction sites that are readily and easily accessible for those who seek support for substance addiction, the scales are being tipped in the opposite direction.”

It notes that residents and businesses continue to experience escalating safety concerns and costs, while frustrations continue to mount surrounding the growing issue.

Also cited in the article are several community spaces impacted by the issue, which the mayors say are intended to be for the enjoyment of all without the concern of public safety risks.

“The case for open public drug use is often made for the purpose of life preservation, however, it is unfair and unreasonable to put that responsibility on the general public to provide the immediate response,” the letter says.

It closes by claiming decriminalization on its own will not address the opioid crisis in communities and there’s an urgent need for “unprecedented and expedient changes” to health care systems.

These mayors continue to urge BC to create more treatment, support and complex care spaces across the region and truly address the opioid crisis, as well as preserving health, safety and social order in communities.

The final sentence of the letter encourages and supports any provincial efforts to seek legal opportunities challenging the injunction on Bill 34.

The letter was signed by Kelowna Mayor Tom Dyas on behalf of Mayor Victor Cumming (Vernon), Mayor Blair Ireland (Lake Country), Mayor Gord Milson (West Kelowna), Mayor Julius Bloomfied (Penticton), Mayor Patrick Van Minsel (Peachland), Mayor Doug Holmes (Summerland), Mayor Spencer Coyne (Princeton) and Mayor Martin Johansen (Oliver).