The BC government is signaling the City of Kamloops is unlikely to see its open-use drug bylaw be given approval for enforcement — at least in its current form.
Speaking to Radio NL in the wake of tabling its own open-use legislation this past week, Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth suggests the consultation city council has been having with Interior Health should be taking in provincial realities.
“Local government is required to consult. That’s one of the reason while we put in-place the rules on the distances,” Farnworth told Radio NL on Friday. “We don’t want a patchwork approach across the province.”
The province’s legislation mirrors what the City of Kamloops bylaw amendments reflect, but fall short of what Kamloops city council is currently envisioning, which is a 100 meter buffer zone around all parks, playgrounds, sports fields and municipal buildings with public access — on top of on any city sidewalk.
The provincial legislation presented by the NDP on Thursday would ban public drug use within 6 meters of all building entrances and bus stops. Drug use would also be banned within 15 meters of playgrounds, spray and wading pools, and skate parks; and at all parks, beaches and sports fields.
“There’s a fair bit of consultation that has gone into making the rules and the legislation,” noted Farnworth. “It’s easy for communities to understand, easy for the public to understand.”
Under the NDP’s Restricting Public Consumption of Illegal Substances Act, municipal governments would be required to “consult” with their local health authorities before implementing any bylaw changes which might impact decriminalization.
While the City of Kamloops did receive significant pushback from Interior Health when it first introduced its open use bylaw amendments, the two sides have since begun sitting down to try to work through their differences.
Enforcement options for Kamloops to be considered, but no new funding for front-line responders
While it appears unlikely provincial authorities will green-light the Kamloops bylaw changes in their current form, Public Safety Minister and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth is suggesting there is a willingness to discuss further options for enforcement strategies of the provincial-wide changes.
Farnworth says he is open to considering giving the Community Service Officers in Kamloops peace officer status.
“I have met with the City of Kamloops on that issue. They are putting together a proposal of what they would like to do, and I’ve indicated a willingness to to take a look at what it is they want to do,” said Farnworth. “We’re just waiting for that.”
The City of Kamloops has been looking at expanding the role of the CSO’s to supplement the work being done by the RCMP and Kamloops Fire Rescue connected to overdose and prevention strategies, including the possibility of deputizing them.
But at the same time, Farnworth says the province has no intention — at least at the moment — of providing additional funds for front-line responders dealing with overdose calls on the street.
“What we’re wanting to do — and that’s why the legislation is in place — is wanting police to be able to have interactions to get people to move on, to get them to either a safe injection site or overdose prevention site, and to be able to get them to the services they need,” said Farnworth. “There’s not plans at this time to for additional funds in terms of fire departments. What our focus is getting treatment facilities and working with health authorities and local communities to put in-place treatment facilities so people can go and get the help that they need.”
The vast majority of calls, 63-percent, Kamloops Fire Rescue responded to last year — a record year for KFR — were medical.
“These increases, along with the other emergency responses and services KFR provides, have put a strain on our system to meet the increasing workload demands of our growing communities and a population of over 100,000 citizens,” Chief Ken Uzeloc told Kamloops council in August.
Broken down further, Uzeloc said calls for “person down”, “unconscious”, and “overdose/poisoning” in 2022 increased by 26 per cent, 52 per cent, and 21 per cent respectively.
This has prompted the City of Kamloops to join Prince George and other communities in BC to call on the province to cover the cost to medical calls handled by local fire departments.