‘We do not have enough resources’: Winnipeg councillor calling for urgent meeting to discuss drug crisis

Mayor Scott Gillingham has given approval to a special council meeting to address the city’s drug crisis.

A Winnipeg councillor is calling for an immediate meeting of council to discuss the drug poisoning crisis in the city.

In an open letter to the mayor and council, Sherri Rollins said more needs to be done to fix what is happening, and it needs immediate action.

Speaking with CTV News on Thursday, Rollins said she went on a ride-along with Main Street Project a few weeks ago, and it highlighted how concerning the current situation is.

“People, (piled) on top of each other, sometimes in distress, needing naloxone for sure from the drug poisoning crisis,” said Rollins. “The humanitarian crisis, we do not have enough resources on our outreach team to make do. We just don’t.”

Mayor Scott Gillingham said he supports having a special council meeting, noting he spoke with Rollins on Wednesday.

The meeting will be held next week, however, a day and time are still being determined.

“I am deeply frustrated by the impact this crisis is having on our neighbourhoods, emergency responders and our most vulnerable residents,” Gillingham said in a statement to CTV News.

“We also need other levels of government to understand the urgency of this situation and deliver the addictions, mental health, and public safety resources Winnipeg needs.”

Rollins wants to see more mental health and addictions support from the provincial government, noting the recent announcement of an extra ambulance responding to drug crisis calls isn’t enough.

She feels everyone from residents and business owners to frontline workers and the most vulnerable are being let down by the current approach throughout Winnipeg.

“There’s been calls to action here for government, and government has to sit down with the people on the front line to respond and make sure that we have their back,” said Rollins.

“It would be beneficial, I think, for us all to acknowledge where we’re at, which is an extraordinarily emergent situation where the first responders are really at risk of getting sick themselves because there is too much work to do on city streets.”

Speaking at a separate news event Wednesday, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said it’s important that the city works with the province and federal government to ensure actual change can be accomplished.

“Coun. Rollins is well aware of the work that our government has been doing. We keep city council pretty up to speed on all of the investments that are being made to address mental health challenges, safety and security concerns, addictions, housing, all of that will remain a big priority for our government,” said Asagwara.

“We’re seeing the harms of toxic substances that are devastating families and communities and we know there’s more work to be done and there’s more work that we’re going to continue to do. We have to do that work with our partners. We need the city of Winnipeg to be a full partner in this work. We need the federal government to be a full partner in this work.”

Rollins said the goal of this meeting is to come away with something actionable that can be applied this summer in the short term and then have council reconvene to develop a better plan for the future.

“It’s a problem that is not well communicated to Winnipeggers what the strategy is. I’ve suggested that the current strategy that we have, in terms of street outreach, the encampment process is failing.”