The decision on whether to close the Beltline Supervised Consumption Site (SCS) in Calgary is once again in the hands of the Alberta government.

Council voted to replace a motion asking the province to close the site with another motion asking the mayor to write to the province asking it to make an informed decision on the future of the site. This latter motion was subsequently rejected by 5 votes to 9.

The decision, which came after about an hour of debate, essentially means the City Council is taking no official position on whether to close the Beltline SCS.

“We care about saving lives, we care about the community. All of those things matter to us. It’s not within our purview,” Mayor Jyoti Gondek said.

“If (the province) feels that its processes can be better, that it can do things differently — it can have comprehensive supports, detoxification facilities — we are happy to support that,” she said. declared.

Calgary SCS opened its doors exactly seven years ago to the day, first as a temporary program at the Sheldon Chumir Centre.

Although health care is clearly a provincial responsibility, Alberta’s addictions minister has asked councilors to make the decision.

“It is important that the entire City Council, not just the Mayor, weigh in via a vote on whether the Council wishes to see the Sheldon Chumir site closed,” reads a letter from Dan Williams to the mayor earlier this month.

“It is clear that Calgarians do not support new drug sales sites in the city, and it is not in the best interest of the community,” the Substance Abuse Minister wrote.

In a statement, Williams said, “The City Council was given a direct opportunity to weigh in on the future of the drug consumption site. Instead, the Council voted to keep the site as is. Despite my offer to make changes to services with local input, Council’s vote made it clear that they support the status quo.

Ward 8 Councilor Courtney Walcott, who represents the area in which SCS operates, said it should not be the council’s responsibility to develop a plan for possible future sites.

“They tell us to stay in our lane all the time. I will respond with equal force: If they want to make health care decisions, make them,” Walcott said.

“The Council is not able to move forward and make health decisions without appropriate information.”