Drug injection tent pops up next to Nanaimo city hall

A group ofvolunteers, frustrated with delays in providing supervised injection services, have opened their own site outside Nanaimo's city hall.

The white tent opened its flaps on Boxing Day in a corner of the parking lot outside the building.

Volunteerstrained in the use ofnaloxoneto treat overdosesoffered supervision and clean injection equipment to about a dozen drug users who came by on the second full day of operations, Nanaimo CouncillorJim Kipp said.

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Kipp, whosaid he is acting as a private citizen, not in his capacity as a councillor, said he became involved in helping to launch the unauthorized service because of inaction by Nanaimocity council and health officials.

In Nanaimo, 25 people died from illicit drugoverdoses between Jan. 1 and Nov. 31this year. Vancouver Island hadthe highest per-capita death rate in the province during that period.

"If we have such a high rate and we don't have a facility available for them, there will be more deaths," Kipp said. Yet, he said, council voted to send the issue for further consideration to a committee that doesn't meet until February.

"My view of it,as 'citizen' Jim Kipp, is that we will put pressure on the powers (that) be to create this quicker," he said.

Health authority aims to open site next week

A statement issued by Island Health said an overdose prevention site inNanaimo isexpected to be up and running within the first week of January.

Island Health spokesperson Kellie Hudson said the health authority is working to find a location and ensure the overdose prevention sites meet the legal requirements of the B.C. Ministerial Orderenacted December 12thunder the B.C. Emergency Services Act.

"The tragedy from one of those deaths is not just the person that dies," Kipp said."It is all of the family, all of the friends, all of the people that feel they didn't do enough.

"If we can save a couple of lives and stop all that trauma in the community then we're better off," he said.

With files from Megan Thomas