Mayoral candidate Sonya Sharp wants the Sheldon Chumir supervised consumption site (SCS) closed and a decentralization of services at the Calgary Drop-In Centre.

Sharp made the election announcement across from the Beltline health facility on Sept. 10, at a local barber shop.

She pledged, if elected, to formally ask the Government of Alberta to close the SCS at Chumir at their earliest possible convenience.

“We’ve been going around in circles on this issue for years, and all the while the negative impacts on the surrounding communities and businesses persist,” said Sharp.

“It needs to change now. This is a growing residential neighbourhood, and the operation of the SCS is having an intolerable negative impact on the community.” 

The City of Calgary and the Government of Alberta have been deadlocked over the closure of the Sheldon Chumir supervised consumption site, with each trying to toss the political football to one another, only to end up playing a game of hot potato.

Meanwhile, Sharp said the nearby neighbourhood is paying the price while both governments dither on the issue.

“Residents here deserve the same state safety and quality of life as any other Calgarian,” Sharp said.

“Individuals with addiction need to be compassionately supported inside facilities.”

At Sharp’s press event, she had the owner of London Barbers speak to the concerns in the area.

“Public drug use is becoming really bad. It’s unsafe for our staff. It’s unsafe for our customers. It’s unsafe for everyone that’s in the area,” said Essa Ashour.

Jyoti Gondek, in her capacity as mayor, suggested in late March that a working group be struck between provincial and municipal officials to determine the future of the Chumir SCS. 

On Wednesday, in response to Sharp’s campaign promise, Gondek said she’s had many conversations with provincial ministers, and she said her question to them has been the same: What are you going to replace it with?

“That’s the thing I still don’t understand. That is not our decision. So, I find it fascinating that a candidate who understands what the role of a mayor in council is is now towing the same line as the province,” she said.

“In fact, saying the exact same thing that the province has been indicating. So, I don’t know. I guess you can make your assumptions about alignment.”

Sharp said more discussion with experts would be needed before determining if this service could be provided elsewhere in Calgary. She didn’t say where in Calgary it should go.

Gondek said those questions still remain, whether it’s the removal of the SCS from Chumir or the decentralization of Calgary Drop-In Centre services.

“The bigger thing I’ve asked for is, when will you put in other supports? When will you make sure that there are detox beds and there are recovery opportunities and programming for people who want to get into recovery. I think it needs to be a much more comprehensive site,” Gondek said.

Decentralizing DI services

Sharp also said that if elected, she would bring together the Premier, the Calgary Police Chief, and the CEO of the Drop-In Centre to talk about a better way forward for the delivery of services at that site.

“I don’t expect to solve all those problems at that first meeting, but I do expect us to agree on one thing: We cannot keep doing the same thing and hope for different results,” Sharp said.  

“If we are all committed to doing our jobs, staying in our lane, that would finally put us on the path to real change.”

Gondek has already called for the city’s open drug use bylaws to be made stronger, to ensure people are getting ticketed for using in public. She wants to see those people sent to community court.

In her first term in office, she said that she’s already been working with the Drop-In Centre and the Calgary Homeless Foundation, and it resulted in the Downtown Safety Leadership table, of which she said all recommendations are fully funded.

“Decentralization, if it’s actually co-locating important services together in different parts of the city, might be the answer, but that’s a model that is the responsibility of the (mental health and addictions) ministry,” she said.

“I’m happy to listen, I’m happy to advocate and support, but the model needs to be structured by the province.”

The Calgary Drop-In Centre said, in an emailed statement, they remain steadfast in their commitment to adapt and evolve services to meet the needs of the community. They are guided by their 2024-2030 strategic plan, and focused on improved access, expanded supports and innovative approaches, such as decentralization.

“We are ready to work collaboratively with all levels of government to explore opportunities that strengthen the spectrum of services we provide, while maintaining our high standards and unwavering focus on people and ending experiences of homelessness,” the statement read.

Fellow mayoral candidate Brian Thiessen issued a statement on Sharp’s commitment, saying Sharp told a recent mayoral debate that the city was only responsible for what happens outside the Sheldon Chumir.

“Shutting down a safe consumption site without a plan will only move the crisis from inside the building to the streets outside,” said Thiessen.

“That means more needles in parks, more public disorder, and more strain on police and EMS. If Sonya Sharp thinks that’s leadership, Calgarians should be very concerned.”