By Scott Roblin

VIDEO: Emotional meeting between supervised consumption site stakeholders

Jan 22, 2019 | 8:59 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – No shortage of emotion at the Safelink offices on Tuesday night, as HIV Community Link held a closed door information session on the newly announced location for Medicine Hat’s supervised consumption site.

The meeting was limited to those either living or working near the 502 South Railway Street SE and was only open to those who had pre-registered for the session.

Around 20 people attended Tuesday’s meeting answering questions on the supervised consumption site, however many people were told to return for a later meeting as some had not pre-registered according to HIV Community Link.

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: April 2-5

Apr 02, 2026

What's On

Top five things to do at the Medicine Hat Public Library in April

Apr 01, 2026

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: March 27-29

Mar 27, 2026

CHAT News and other media outlets meanwhile were denied access to attend the meeting, which lasted just over two hours in length.

According to those who were able to attend, the meeting began with HIV Community Link outlining their plan for the contentious supervised site before opening up the floor to questions, which was a heated affair.

Shandea Swaren, who works next to the 502 South Railway Street location, said it wasn’t until much later in the meeting that residents and business owners were able to address their concerns.

“It was a rough start,” said Swaren. “They had a lot of information that they wanted us to listen to and I think we just wanted to be heard. It wasn’t really perceived that it was for us to ask questions, it was more so for us to listen to their propaganda, as it was put by a few people.”

Not everyone who attended the meeting was against the project, as Medicine Hat Coalition on Supervised Consumption member Kym Porter had sat in on the session.

Losing her own son to a fentanyl overdose two years ago, she said it was distressing hearing people she called more concerned with their own situations rather than for the good of the community.

“I found it quite upsetting to sit there and listen to their comments,” said Porter. “It’s very much a ‘not in my backyard’ attitude, and I don’t think it’s something that anybody is going to say they want in their backyard when their concern is about their financial gains. It was very difficult to sit there and listen to the concerns of finances over lives.”

Following the meeting, CHAT News spoke to both Swaren and Porter, along with area residents Julie Hoffart and Caleb Willis about their experience and what they hope comes forward in the coming months.