Judge blocks attempt to delay drug site closures
Calgary and Lethbridge supervised consumption sites set to close June 30 after court dismisses emergency injunction bid.
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A judge has rejected a last-minute legal bid to pause the closures of supervised consumption sites in Calgary and Lethbridge, both expected to shut down June 30.
Lawyer Avnish Nanda sought an injunction in April to temporarily halt the closures while pursuing a separate lawsuit challenging the province's decision. He argues the shutdowns breach Charter rights to life, liberty, and security.
Justice Jason Wilkins in Calgary dismissed the application Tuesday, saying he was bound by precedent set when a higher court rejected a similar injunction against the Red Deer site closure.
"While the applicants are different persons … the issues are otherwise the same," Wilkins said.
Calgary's facility at the Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre opened in October 2017 as Alberta's first supervised consumption site. Data shows that from October to December 2025, more than 9,000 people used the Calgary location.
Nanda's client, Travis Peddie, 41, says in court documents that he has used both sites for seven years and has been saved from overdose repeatedly by staff.
The province says it will transition funding into 30 to 40 new withdrawal management beds in Calgary and additional addiction services. "People will not be left without support," Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said in March.