Community, advocates share mixed feelings about temporary supervised consumption site opening in June
Posted May 22, 2026 4:56 pm.
Last Updated May 23, 2026 10:28 am.
A temporary supervised consumption site will open here on Henry Avenue sometime in June, but advocates and community members have mixed feelings about the facility and its impact on the neighbourhood.
“My heart goes out to them, because there is a storm coming and they need to prepare for it,” said Joseph Fourre, an advocate with the Singing Red Bear Foundation.
Fourre has been advocating against a supervised consumption site for the past few years. He says he was upset to learn about the temporary site on Henry Avenue, and feels there was a lack of communication with advocates and neighbourhood residents.
“I was pretty disappointed on the borderline of being upset. We’ve had months, if not years, of consultation. Where the community itself has spoken out and said they didn’t want it here,” he explained.
Fourre says that Manitoba should have considered the experience of other jurisdictions that are currently shutting down their supervised consumption sites, and highlighted that a shortage of detox and rehab beds is still dire in the province.
“This is like putting the cart before the horse. You create the in-house beds, you create the detox, the stabilization units, and then maybe consider opening a consumption site to help people move through the system, but right now there is no plan, and there is no system, and there is no infrastructure to help these people move through,” said Fourre.
CityNews hit the streets of Winnipeg’s downtown, where most support services are located, to see what community members think about the facility opening on Henry Avenue, and most people are supportive of the decision.
“If you go for a walk around here and see people getting high. It would be good as long as people are not overdosing,” said one Winnipegger.
Nickolas Granwell says that, in his years using substances, he has lost dozens of friends to overdoses and thinks a supervised consumption site might help to save lives.
Granwell claims the drug supply has become more toxic, and options for testing for fentanyl and other substances are limited.
“I’ve lost like 76 friends over the past six years. It’s insane. There’s a need for that site,” said Granwell.
Granwell believes it would help to have access to trained staff, as he says many in the streets are carrying their own naloxone and Narcan to help others with overdoses.
“I think it’s definitely needed. Because it helps with overdoses. It’s an epidemic out here,” he explained.
Some of the people CityNews spoke to said that limited access to clean supplies like needles and pipes makes them concerned for their health and safety.
“A lot of people have been passing away. It would probably help a lot,” said Moyra. “It’s hard. People are trying the needles. People are trying to share them because they can’t get them.”
