Policy

Policy

Vancouver’s Drug Vote Demands an Answer

Vancouver elected a new council while backing stronger public drug-use laws and a request for secure care. For the Downtown Eastside, the question is how the new government will act on both results.

Policy

B.C.’s Drug Policy Fight Leaves the Treatment Timetable Unclear

B.C.’s parties offer competing routes out of the overdose crisis. Their treatment promises come with different budgets and timelines, leaving a gap between the changes voters are being offered and the care people can actually get.

Policy

When Anti-Violence Work Hurts Its Workers

A bigger budget could help pay for a safer shift. But it leaves another question unanswered: how do organizations respond when their own workers need help?

Policy

Eleven Years After Council Voted to Remove the Viaducts, Hogan’s Alley Still Waits

Council voted in 2015 to remove the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts, expecting developers to pay. The price rose, the date slipped, and who pays is still open.

Policy

Why Repeat Offenders Keep Getting Bail in British Columbia

In the early hours of December 27, 2023, a man was arrested in Vancouver following an alleged stabbing outside a convenience store. He had ...

Policy

How Diverted Opioids Are Flooding British Columbia’s Streets

British Columbia’s opioid crisis has entered a new and complex phase, with recent investigations revealing that a significant portion of prescribed opioids intended for ...

Policy

Rising Fires, Policy Clashes, and the Spread of Smokable Drugs

Smokable drug use is reshaping British Columbia’s overdose crisis, creating new risks for public safety and emergency response. As health officials push to expand ...

Policy

Canada’s Cannabis Industry Six Years After Legalization

Six years after legalization, Canada’s cannabis market faces high taxes, strict regulations, and ongoing competition from the illicit market. In 2018, Canada became the ...

Policy

Vancouver’s Daytime Shelter Ban Faces Legal Challenge

The City of Vancouver is facing a lawsuit over its daytime ban on outdoor sheltering, a policy that has drawn significant criticism from legal ...

Policy

Can Alberta’s Recovery Model Solve BC’s Opioid Crisis?

British Columbia, once a trailblazer in harm reduction and addressing the opioid crisis, faces unrelenting challenges in reducing overdose deaths and mitigating urban disorder. ...

Policy

Vancouver Mayor Halts New Supportive Housing Projects in Downtown Eastside

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has announced a decisive shift in addressing the challenges of the Downtown Eastside (DTES), halting the approval of new supportive ...

Policy

How Justin Trudeau Shaped Canada’s Drug Policy

Justin Trudeau’s tenure as Canada’s Prime Minister is often defined by progressive policies, including a bold approach to drug regulation. From the landmark legalization ...

Policy

Why Decriminalizing Sex Work in British Columbia Matters

In Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, the debate over decriminalizing sex work transcends mere policy—it’s a matter of survival for many. Canada’s legal framework, introduced under ...

Policy

Public Drug Use and Decriminalization Collide in British Columbia

In January 2023, British Columbia made history by decriminalizing small amounts of certain illegal drugs for personal use, marking a significant shift toward a ...

Policy

Canada’s Top Court Clears Path for Opioid Class Action Against Big Pharma

In a historic ruling, Canada’s Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of British Columbia’s Opioid Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act. This decision ...

Policy

How BC’s 2.5-Gram Decriminalization Rule Shapes the Overdose Crisis

British Columbia’s groundbreaking drug decriminalization policy is rewriting the rules of harm reduction, but a closer look reveals a complex reality where the interplay ...

Policy

British Columbia’s Shift on Drug Policy Fuels Uncertainty

In British Columbia, a province once considered a leader in progressive drug policy, a new pivot away from harm reduction has reignited debates about ...

Policy

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act and Drug Law Enforcement

Canada’s opioid crisis has rapidly escalated into one of the country’s most urgent public health emergencies. Since 2016, over 44,000 Canadians have died from ...

Policy

Who is Responsible for Canada’s Homeless Encampments?

In recent years, Canadian cities have grappled with a rise in homeless encampments, bringing public safety concerns and legal challenges into the spotlight. The ...

Policy

Conservative Plan to Tackle BC’s Addiction and Mental Health Crisis

British Columbia is at a crossroads, facing a public health crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 14,000 people due to drug ...

Policy

BC Drug Policy: An Alternative Vision Amid Controversy

As British Columbia approaches a provincial election, the BC Conservatives have drawn attention with their approach to addressing the drug crisis, particularly in Vancouver’s ...

Policy

Involuntary Care Sparks Controversy in Pre-Election Push

British Columbia is grappling with a toxic drug crisis that has claimed over 15,000 lives since 2016, sparking fierce political debate as the province ...

Policy

The Battle Over Supervised Drug Consumption Sites

British Columbia’s overdose crisis continues to dominate political discourse, and the BC Conservative Party finds itself at the centre of a controversy over its ...

Policy

British Columbians Demand New Approaches to Crime, Addiction, and Public Safety

As the opioid crisis and rising crime continue to shape public discourse, a new province-wide survey conducted by Research Co. has revealed that British ...