Northern Health’s decision on OPS location continues to raise questions

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The School District 60 board has penned a letter to Northern Health about issues with the health authority’s communication regarding the location of its overdose prevention site in Fort St. John.

Some of the answers the board is looking for have been addressed before with other organizations or were answered in a chamber meeting for members this week. An issue the board has, however, is Northern Health has not included them directly in these conversations.

According to the letter from board chair Helen Gilbert on May 5th, the main issue is that Northern Health reportedly did not include the board in the decision on the location of the site “in close proximity to schools and other places that serve the needs of children.”

The board chair notes that liquor and cannabis stores would not be allowed so close to schools.

At a school board meeting in March, the board faced questions from the public that she says they did not have answers to because of the lack of communication.

Since then, a follow-up meeting was scheduled after Northern Health provided some additional information. She says the only information that the board had came from local media.

In her letter, Gilbert says there has not been any communication regarding measures to address the safety concerns raised.

On Wednesday, the local chamber of commerce hosted a luncheon for members to hear from Jared Braun, executive director of the local Salvation Army, and Northern Health’s COO, Angela De Smit, to talk about overdose prevention in the city.

During the luncheon, De Smit said Northern Health is meeting with the school district board on June 5th.

“My understanding from talking to Stephen Petrucci, the superintendent, is a lot of the board’s concern is what are we doing within the schools in terms of substance use support and counselling,” De Smit said.

“This is just my interpretation of his communication, which was that he didn’t see any concerns at this time with the site selected because it is a good couple of blocks away from the actual location and it is an elementary school, and it’s a very controlled environment.”

The board chair says that according to the 2017 Supervised Consumption Service Operational Guidance, the school district would be a key stakeholder and, as such, should be included in discussions related to planned safety measures for the community.

“In choosing this location for the overdose prevention site, we wonder if any consideration was given to other services provided in the area, especially for children?” Gilbert asks in the letter.

Currently, a daycare is adjacent to one of the mobile OPS site’s locations, and De Smit said they are supporters of the site.

The school board is also unaware of the scope of the site, such as if it is strictly an overdose prevention site or if it is also a safe consumption site.

De Smit explained that the new facility will provide wraparound harm reduction services, including a safe inhalation space, safe injections, and primary care services.

The letter also mentions that the school board recognizes the need to establish services to assist with overdose prevention during the ongoing overdose crisis.

Northern Health had been looking for a new space since April 2022 after losing its temporary use permit for its last location.

In a letter to council on November 28th, 2022, De Smit told the city they had signed the lease for the new space at 10067-100th Avenue in Fort St. John. 

Since the letter was released, the City of Fort St. John has expressed that it stands behind the site but has not commented on the location.

At the luncheon earlier this week, De Smit said the location will also be used as a warming shelter after the future of the old warming shelter was uncertain.

She said the site was chosen because of its previous use as a warming shelter.

The local chamber of commerce also wrote a letter earlier this year, outlining some of their recommendations for the site, including security plans.

Helen’s letter can be viewed below: