I don’t want an overdose crisis. You don’t want an overdose crisis.

Nobody woke up hoping their city would become the epicentre of the deadliest drug emergency in B.C. history. Nobody wants to lose 1826 people in 2025 to an overdose, a 21% increase compared to 2024. Nobody wants the need for an Overdose Prevention Site (OPS). Nobody wants any of this.

But here we ARE. And when you're here, you deal with reality — not the reality you wished for.

Some people want us to believe that if we shut down these sites, people will somehow stop using drugs. They assume, wrongly, that people with mental health or substance challenges just need to find a job. It’s like telling a child you’re going to stop paying for tutoring until they get straight A's at school. Once a person has had too many personal challenges, there is no simple solution. Where a job may be the key for someone turning their life around, another person may need 6 attempts in a rehabilitation facility. Thinking that people simply lack discipline is a false attribution fallacy. Is it complex to treat someone who is deep in addiction? Yes. Are we better off helping them, even if it is complex? Absolutely. 

The recovery journey can be difficult. Complex. So while they are on that journey, we need a practical solution. We need the right service in the right location at the right moment. 

That’s where the OPS comes in. It prevents overdose. It ensures staff can keep a caring eye on people, offering housing, treatment and recovery, if the patient is ready. The TD OPS has saved 480 lives so far this year. Vancouver’s own Insite prevents 35 new HIV infections and delivers over $6 million in annual societal benefit, or $5.12 for every dollar spent. (sciencedirect.com/scien…). These aren't enablers. They're the bridge between someone alive today and someone in treatment tomorrow. 

With that context, it’s disappointing, though not unsurprising, to read that Ken Sim promised today to waste more of his time and our taxpayer dollars fighting the OPS. He has spent 3.5 years pushing the OPS around, not addressing the root cause in the slightest. It’s not surprising because this is a pattern of how he makes decisions. When he or his insiders don’t like something, he says no. No to OPS. No to the Park Board. No to the Integrity Commissioner. No to lifeguards. No to working with the province. No to working with the federal government. 

We elected a mayor to solve the big issues. What we got is a mayor who says no to hard work. What we got is a mayor who doesn’t show up unless there is a fight to pick or a photo op to be had, or a bunch of lawyers to hire. All paid for by the taxpayers.