The location of the OPS site and warming centre in 2023. (Tre Lopushinsky, Energeticcity.ca)
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Hundreds of people are objecting to the opening of an overdose prevention site due to its proximity to a daycare.
The petition argues that placing an overdose prevention site (OPS) on the same block as Wiggles and Giggles Group Daycare “endangers the welfare of our children” and could create safety and environmental concerns in the neighbourhood.
Started by resident Katie MacDonald, it currently has 276 signatures.
“While the need for safe spaces for drug users is vital, placing such a facility in close proximity to a place where young children learn and play is both irresponsible and concerning,” MacDonald wrote in the petition.
The petition claimed that similar sites in other communities have seen “a significant rise in crime rates and loitering,” and urged the city to relocate the facility “to a more suitable area away from educational institutions.”
In a statement to Energeticcity.ca, Northern Health’s communications advisor Arthur Williams said the health authority conducted “a significant amount of engagement” when the site was selected, including the creation of a community advisory committee.
“Northern Health runs its OPS in a safe and respectful way for clients, staff, area businesses and the community,” Williams said.
“Staff follow provincial best practices for sites used at Northern Health’s OPS facilities throughout the region.”
Laura Barber, general manager of Wiggles and Giggles, told Energeticcity.ca the daycare and nearby educational facilities share the concerns about the proposed site.
“The opening of the overdose prevention site near not only our daycare but also several other daycares, preschools and an elementary school is deeply concerning,” Barber said
Like MacDonald, Barber acknowledged the importance of services that support people struggling with addiction, but said the site’s proximity to areas “dedicated to the care and education of young children poses serious safety and wellbeing concerns.”
She added that locating the site farther from where children learn and play “would better balance the needs of all members of our community.”
According to Northern Health, the Fort St. John Health Services Centre on 100th Avenue originally opened in December 2023.
The facility offered harm reduction services and an enclosed outdoor inhalation area. The centre then closed in December 2024 for renovations.
Once renovations are complete, expected in 2026, the facility will include overdose prevention services, opioid agonist therapy, intensive case management and other wraparound services.
Williams added that all overdose prevention activities will then take place inside the facility, including an indoor inhalation space, the first of its kind in Northern Health’s region and among the first in B.C.
Williams then cited a B.C. Centre for Disease Control review, which he said showed OPS sites often lead to a general reduction in public drug use and litter, and do not lead to an increase of crime, substance use or nuisance complaints.
