The Alberta government has confirmed that the supervised consumption site at the Sheldon Chumir Health Centre in the Beltline area of Calgary will close in 2026. This was reported by Global News on December 15, 2025, citing a response from the office of Mental Health and Addiction Minister Nathaniel Dick, writes Global News.
What exactly is closing and when
This refers to Calgary's supervised consumption site at the Sheldon Chumir Centre, which, according to the province, will cease operations in 2026. The closure is expected in early 2026.
Why the topic has become hot again
The location around Chumir has long been a subject of conflict. The center opened in 2017, and since then, some Beltline residents and businesses have complained that the site allegedly exacerbates “social disorder” in the area.
At the same time, proponents of harm reduction insist that such sites reduce risks for people with addictions and for the city as a whole because they provide more controlled and safer conditions than using drugs in stairwells, on the street, or in public spaces.
The province's position: “We are closing and moving on to treatment and recovery.”
According to Global News, the UCP government announced its intention to close this site back in 2021, and now, according to officials from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction, the province is “seeing the plan through to the end.”
In a response from Minister Nathaniel Dick's office, as reported by Global News, two arguments are emphasized:
- People with addiction need a chance at treatment and “a healthy, hopeful life.”
- Residents and businesses need to feel safe where they live and work, without “disruption due to social disorder.”
The province also states that after the closure, it plans to transition to “treatment and recovery services” in collaboration with municipal partners and agencies, as has been done in other locations, including Red Deer and the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Edmonton.
The government promises to release additional details at the beginning of the new year.
Reaction in Calgary: joy for some, anxiety for others
“Finally”: the position of some local residents and businesses
Global News quotes city official Coun. Dan McLean, who supported the decision to close the site, noting that residents and businesses in the Chumir area are “happy” to see the facility replaced/removed from this location.
“This could spread the problem throughout the city”: the position of harm reduction
Harm reduction advocates warn of the risk of a “crowding-out effect”: if the space where drug use does not occur in public disappears, some people may end up in public places, which increases the risks for everyone. The article quotes lawyer Danielle English as saying that when you take away a safe space, “the whole city becomes a space for drug use.”
Mayor of Calgary: I haven't seen an official announcement, but I want to be involved in the process
Calgary Mayor Jeromy Farkas said he has not received a formal announcement about the future of the site, but expects to be involved in the transition/reconfiguration of services when the decision is implemented.