Activists protest at legislature against Bill 48, mandatory 72-hour hold at detox centre

Around 100 people gathered outside the legislature on Sunday, opposing Bill 48 and the province’s new 72-hour detox detainment centre, claiming it violates human rights and puts Indigenous and marginalized people at further risk of harm.

Protest organizer Monica Ballentyne says she’s disappointed by the province.

“They could have used the funding and really rolled out some more detox beds, and treatment beds, and treatment beds, and had some real pathways to recovery, not forced detention and criminalizing and stigmatizing drug use,” said Ballentyne.

“Locking people away for 72 hours, or even 24, and thinking that’s going to help them, it’s just not.”

The 72-hour centre is intended for the detainment of people on methamphetamines and other long-lasting drugs. One of the issues raised by protesters: the design of the centre, which some say resembles a jail cell.

“You don’t think it’s going to be a cell. You think it’s going to be a nice protection care unit, with some rooms, with some common areas, with some phones and showers, locking people away in psychosis, no. They would have a better time in a psych ward,” said Ballantyne.

Vanessa Gamblin, a sister in ceremony, says, “The way it’s designed right now, I would encourage systems and media to say, ‘Can we see the inside of the current one prior to this.’ So, people [say] it’s better. It’s not better. It’s disgusting.”

The province has stated that the centre will offer wrap-around support for those who are detained. But Ballantyne expresses her doubts.

“So they’re saying the social workers will help them find the resources, will help them get onto the detox list, but I’ll tell you something, our frontline workers are already doing all of that.  So they’re going to detain people who are already on the wait list, then they’re going to let them know about all the resources that they already know about, and they’re going to put the same list that they’re already on,” said Ballantyne.

In response to the protest, a statement to CityNews from Minister of Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Bernadette Smith says, “Every Manitoban wants to get people struggling with addictions the care they need in a safe place. I want to assure all those who work to support Manitobans struggling with addictions that I take your concerns seriously. My door is always open, and I look forward to working together to get people the care they need.”

The centre is expected to be fully operational by December.