Alberta to close supervised drug consumption sites in Calgary and Lethbridge

Alberta announced it will close the supervised drug consumption site at the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre in Calgary and a mobile overdose prevention service in Lethbridge, with both slated to shut on June 30 and funding redirected to withdrawal beds and other supports.

The Alberta government announced it will close the province's first supervised drug consumption site in Calgary and a mobile overdose prevention service in Lethbridge. Ministers said funding for those services will be transitioned into other supports, including withdrawal management beds and an addiction medicine clinic. Officials described the move as part of a shift to a recovery-oriented approach to addiction. Both services are scheduled to close on June 30. Key details: - The announcement covers the Sheldon M. Chumir Centre site in Calgary and a mobile overdose prevention service in Lethbridge. - Both sites are slated to close on June 30 and the province plans to redirect funding to supports that include about 30–40 withdrawal management beds in Calgary and 10 withdrawal beds plus an addiction medicine clinic in Lethbridge. - Ministers said supervised consumption services were introduced as a temporary response and that remaining sites in Edmonton are not planned for closure at this time. - A legal challenge over the Red Deer site's closure is before the Alberta Court of Appeal, and that case could affect other closures. Summary: The province intends the closures to be part of a broader shift toward treatment and recovery supports while keeping some supervised consumption services in place in Edmonton for now. Both Calgary and Lethbridge services are scheduled to close on June 30 and funding will be redirected to specific withdrawal and clinic supports. The pending Court of Appeal matter over Red Deer may influence future decisions.