Alberta has recently shut down one of the supervised consumption sites in Edmonton, as part of its transition from overdose prevention services to emphasizing recovery and treatment. The site at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in downtown Edmonton, which offered sterile drug use equipment and monitored overdose assistance, was closed by the province on Tuesday.
This closure is in line with Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson’s announcement in November that the supervised consumption site would be replaced with a rapid access treatment facility. Details on the operational timeline of the new treatment center from Recovery Alberta are not immediately available.
Currently, there are two remaining supervised consumption sites in Edmonton, located at Radius Community Health and Healing and the George Spady Centre. Alberta initially had seven supervised consumption sites at the beginning of 2025, with three in Edmonton and one each in Calgary, Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, and Red Deer. With the recent closure at the Royal Alexandra Hospital and a previous shutdown in Red Deer, there are now five sites operational, with further reductions expected.
Nathaniel Dueck, a spokesperson for Wilson’s ministry, indicated that the province intends to close Calgary’s sole supervised consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre next year. Dueck emphasized the government’s commitment to providing addiction treatment opportunities and ensuring safety in communities and businesses.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas of Calgary expressed the need for a transition plan regarding the closure of the supervised consumption site at Sheldon M. Chumir, highlighting the importance of addressing social disorder and drug use effectively. Calgary’s firefighters also stressed the importance of viable solutions from the government to tackle the increasing challenges posed by the opioid epidemic.
In Red Deer and Lethbridge, local leadership has urged the Alberta government to close overdose prevention units as part of a shift towards recovery-focused services. Data from Alberta’s Substance use surveillance platform shows that the supervised consumption sites in Calgary and Lethbridge have been the most frequented since mid-2024.
Both cities have witnessed a significant decrease in overdose deaths over the past two years, with Lethbridge experiencing a notable decline from 109 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023 to fewer than 10 deaths as of August this year. City officials and healthcare professionals have expressed differing opinions on the impact of supervised consumption sites on reducing fatalities, with ongoing discussions and concerns about the welfare of individuals relying on these services.