A Red Deer resident is worried a permanent safe drug consumption service proposed in the Rail Lands area in Red Deer will impact the neighbourhood – especially the youth.
Walter Wiley, Central Alberta Archers Association president, said he started a petition to stop the bylaw amendments allowing the service to open at 5233-54 Ave. The proposed location for the service is around the corner from Safe Harbour located on 5246-53 Ave.
The archers association located next door at 5237-54 Ave. serves both youth and adults.
“We’re directly beside – we actually share a veranda between our buildings,” said Wiley.
He said the neighbourhood already has a problem – between the drug debris, garbage, bike parts, shopping carts – due to the homeless people that hang out in the area and access services at Safe Harbour.
“The fear is it’s going to get worse,” he said.
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The archers association president said he commends both Safe Harbour’s and Turning Point’s efforts for working hard to bring a permanent safe consumption site in Red Deer.
“I applaud they’re stepping forward and taking this on, because if they didn’t, I’m not sure if anybody else would.”
But the Red Deer resident is concerned for the youth that access the archery programs at the non-profit club.
“The staff from Safe Harbour does work very hard to keep the garbage down to a minimum and I do see it… but my fear is the youth – specifically for us – those accessing our facility being in harm’s way, be it stepping on a needle, finding drug debris, being harassed or confronted by somebody that is using the services.”
The youth enrolled in the archery programs are anywhere between seven to 17. But parents bring along younger siblings to watch their student-archers shoot.
“There are some as young as four-years-old that come to observe class,” he said.
The number of youth archers enrolled in the programs vary from year-to-year. In 2017, about 5,000 Central Alberta youth accessed the facility between the association’s programs, school groups and community groups such as 4-H and Scouts.
If the proposed permanent safe consumption site opens next door, homeless people accessing services at the site and programs at Safe Harbour will go through “our lot,” he said.
“Virtually that puts up right in the middle of these two facilities and the traffic from one to the other goes right through our lot and right now we do see drug debris and that’s scary and we make a valued effort it’s cleaned up.”
He said even if someone like a safety officer monitors the proposed drug consumption service facility 24-hours a day, it won’t help the archers association.
“That’s great, that protects those who are in the facility or right outside the facility, but what about those that are travelling from that facility to another facility,” he said referring to the entire neighbourhood’s safety.
As of Monday afternoon, the petition was signed by 639 people.
Pros and cons of the proposed safe consumption site facility will be heard by Red Deer city council Tuesday at 6 p.m.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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