Motion expected in Nanaimo, B.C. on asking for closure of safe injection site
- On July 28, 2025, Nanaimo city council voted 6-3 to postpone a motion that would have requested Island Health to shut down the Albert Street safe consumption site located adjacent to the municipal building.
- The motion, introduced by councillor Ian Thorpe, followed community concerns about the site's effectiveness and increasing disorder nearby, while health officials recognize its role in saving lives.
- The Albert Street site opened in December 2022 and has offered witnessed drug consumption with over 113,000 visits, providing a safer setting and rapid medical response as described by Island Health.
- Mayor Leonard Krog stated the sites "unquestionably saves lives" but acknowledged frustration among residents who question the allocation of scarce resources amid street disorder challenges.
- Deferring the motion suggests ongoing debate in Nanaimo about balancing public health benefits of overdose prevention with community concerns, as the Health Ministry has yet to respond to closure requests.
24 Articles
24 Articles

Motion in Nanaimo, B.C., to ask for closure of safe injection site deferred
City council in Nanaimo, B.C., has voted to defer a motion on asking the local health authority to close an overdose prevention site next to city hall. The vote to defer Coun.

Motion expected in Nanaimo, B.C., to ask for closure of safe injection site
A councillor in Nanaimo, B.C., wants the local health authority to close an overdose prevention site next to city hall, in a motion the mayor says reflects frustration growing within the community. Coun.
Motion expected in Nanaimo, B.C. on asking for closure of safe injection site
Council in Nanaimo, B.C., is scheduled to hear a motion that could result in the city asking a provincial health authority to close a local overdose prevention site. Coun. Ian Thorpe is expected to bring forward the motion at Nanaimo’s council meeting today that will ask to “formally request” Island Health to close the site […]
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