The provincial government has cancelled an overdose prevention site in Vancouver.
Three months ago, the government announced the site at 900 Helmcken St. in Vancouver, prompting backlash from residents, businesses, and the City of Vancouver.
“Community voices matter,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim posted on X on Monday.
“Today, Health Minister Ravi Kahlon called me personally to confirm that the proposed 900 Helmcken drug injection site will not move forward.
“Thank you to the residents, businesses and community members who stood together, made their voices heard, and advocated for public safety and better, more compassionate care for our most vulnerable.
“We can be kind. We can be compassionate. We can be caring.”
Kahlon told Global News that the province still needs a commitment from the city to meet the needs of that population.
-
![]()
Alberta NDP calling for a pause in new AI data centres -
![]()
Relief in Canadian, American seafood sectors after Canada’s counter-tariff reversal -
![]()
Trump’s ‘Lake America’ order deepens Canada-U.S. rift amid trade war -
![]()
Leaked audio alleges BC Conservative leader offered new role in party to the MLA willing to step down
Get weekly health news
“We’re not moving forward with the ops site at that location, but we need a commitment to work with the city and all partners in Vancouver to ensure that the most vulnerable people have the supports that they need so we don’t have overdoses in front of our businesses in our communities and that’s a commitment the mayor shared with me,” Kahlon said.
In October, Vancouver voters will head to the polls and answer a plebiscite to ask about strengthening city laws on open-air drug use and if the old St. Paul’s Hospital or another site should provide more involuntary care beds.
“I think it will send a really strong message to every future city council and whoever is in Victoria,” Sim told Global News.
The Helmcken Street site was leased for two years for $179,000. The province says it will consider the location for alternative uses.
“Randy
August 25, 2026 at 11:52 pm
Crime is not down, open your fcking eyes, you obviously don’t live there”
You’re right I don’t live in Chinatown. I live in a much nicer part of Vancouver. But wait I thought dipshlt Ken Sim said he was cleaning up Chinatown? Meanwhile it’s still the biggest shlthole in Vancouver. Too funny 😂😂
Bob B
August 25, 2026 at 8:45 pm
Lol you took the bait. Such an uneducated ignorant person JV. In math with small numbers differences make big percentages changes. Example going from 1 to 2 is 100% change. 😏
So BnE went from 1st half 2025 BnE of 8 to 2026 1st half of BnE 30. But this was after a drops from previous years at 45/+ to 2026 BnE 8 once the enforcement started.
Haha fish on! You ate that hook line and sinker. 😂
Look it up!!
Lol look at Doug Bob get triggered because he knows he’s wrong 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Crime is not down, open your fcking eyes, you obviously don’t live there
Back in the day we drank a beer, now the drugs erase their brain from the get go, get it through your head, they cannot and should not be saved
Lol you took the bait. Such an uneducated ignorant person JV. In math with small numbers differences make big percentages changes. Example going from 1 to 2 is 100% change. 😏
So BnE went from 1st half 2025 BnE of 8 to 2026 1st half of BnE 30. But this was after a drops from previous years at 45/+ to 2026 BnE 8 once the enforcement started.
Haha fish on! You ate that hook line and sinker. 😂
Look it up!!
Commercial crime and break-ins are not going down in Vancouver’s Chinatown, in fact, business break-ins surged by 275% in the first half of 2026
Breakin crime is down 14% across Vancouver.
It’s all good because apparently dipshlt Ken Sim is going to clean up the city. Just like he said he was going to clean up Chinatown. Yeah because that’s going really well….
Put them ALL in the woods so we can’t see them. Nothing but a strain on our cities and do nothing to better themselves. We build affordable housing for them and for what??? They trash them the minute they move in or bounce right back onto the streets when they realize there are rules to follow.
Build a site up north in the woods where traffickers have no access and get those people off the drugs and rehab them to learn a trade so they can live normal lives!
Two possibilities here.
1) The Mayor is genuinely concerned about how it will affect people in the neighbourhood and surrounding area.
2) It is an election year.