Charlottetown police say they are investigating after a Prince Edward Island minister was allegedly shoved during a town hall meeting about a proposed supervised consumption site.
Officers were called to the Confederation Center of the Arts Wednesday evening after a man allegedly shoved Housing Minister Rob Lantz during a heated exchange, police said in a news release.
Video circulating on social media by CBC and CTV reporters shows the man using coarse language, spilling liquid from a cup in Lantz's hand, and pushing the minister.
"The investigation is ongoing with review of public video of the disturbance and the collection of victim (and) witness statements," police said, adding that they would release an update if charges are laid.
Lantz's office said in an email the minister "will not be providing further comment on the incident."
A supervised consumption site is a place where people can bring their own drugs to use in the presence of trained staff, in an effort to help reduce accidental overdoses and the spread of infectious diseases.
The P.E.I. government said last week that the proposed site would be part of an expansion to the Park Street Emergency Shelter close to downtown Charlottetown. The supervised consumption site is to be operated by the Department of Health and Wellness and PEERS Alliance, which helps people at high risk of hepatitis C and sexually transmitted infections. The facility was first proposed for Belmont Street in January but moved after it attracted controversy, and the new location is part of the government's spring election promise.
Angele DesRoches, executive director of PEERS Alliance, said the mood at Wednesday's meeting was tense. But she said the information session "needed to happen."
"I think there was a lot of information shared and a lot of ground covered, but also very aware that this is an emotional topic for folks," she said in an interview Thursday. "It was disappointing that things got to a point of disruption."
People oppose the site because of the profile of its potential users — who commonly have addiction and mental health problems — and because they fear that used needles would be found outside the facility.
DesRoches said the opposition stems from misinformation, which she said "contributes to insecurity around these types of projects."
"I'm certainly always disappointed when attempts at meaningful, respectful, polite dialogue break down to that extent," she said. "I think there's certainly some irony in community members concerned with the life choices or behaviours of others, engaging in such a way publicly."
Prince Edward Island recorded four accidental deaths involving opioids last year; 12 in 2021; eight in 2020 and five in 2019. Data for this year is unavailable. In British Columbia, there were 2,272 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths last year; 2,306 in 2021; 1,774 in 2020 and 987 in 2019.
"Although our overdose deaths are not as dramatic as larger urban centres, where there are more people, the reality is that every death has an impact," DesRoches said. "These folks are all someone's loved one."
In its throne speech this year, the government promised a new site offering services for vulnerable people, including those experiencing homelessness.
"We know that often individuals who are experiencing homelessness also have mental health and addictions challenges," the government said. "The provision of one centralized site with a comprehensive suite of programs and services will ensure the best opportunity for these individuals to access help and take the necessary steps to living a more productive life in our province."
DesRoches said there is usually an overlap between people who are homeless or have housing insecurity, and substance abuse.
"The other reality is that we are seeing an increase in folks who are socially and economically displaced," she said.
"In addition to providing life-saving overdose response, overdose prevention sites also create spaces for folks who are unhoused to access a safe and sterile environment to consume substances."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 20, 2023.
— By Hina Alam in Fredericton.
The Canadian Press
