Jamie Sarkonak: Nanaimo, where complaining about feces-drenched drug zones is all you can do
RCMP Constable Adam Taylor explained to the finance committee that the force is held back by federal rules that allow the possession of up to 2.5 grams of illegal drugs, which prevent them from making arrests. (Federal decriminalization efforts have caused similar front-line problems in Sarnia, Ont., to the great frustration of locals).
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'Our stance right now is if they are using it in public and it's not grossly over (the federal exemption), it's what we call a 'no case seizure,'' Taylor explained. 'They are arrested, we search them, we seize the drugs, and if it's a small amount, it's just sent with a request to Health Canada to have them destroyed.'
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To that, Nanaimo Mayor Leonard Krog asked: 'Is it fair to say … (that) it is practically speaking impossible for the police to arrest folks in a meaningful way for drug use in a public place?'
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The officer's reply? 'Yes.'
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The centre, as with many others of its type, does help people. It houses the homeless overnight, and, anecdotally, the city reports that it's connected some individuals with addiction treatment. But, to accomplish all this, it's transformed the surrounding area into a free-range homeless zone rooted to a few indoor service providers.
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As for whether any of this is improving overdose statistics long-term, it's not optimistic: Nanaimo's rate tripled from 500 in 2016 to 1,500 in 2024, according to provincial data. It's true that 2024 was better than 2023, which saw 2,500 deaths, but plenty more progress needs to be made before the city can declare victory.
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Similar stories of urban devastation crop up across the country. In Sarnia, in Hamilton, Ont. and in Kitchener, Ont., homeless encampments have become court-entrenched features, with judges ruling that insufficient shelter space renders camp-clearing a Charter violation — with no thought for the general public, of course. In Vancouver, the scene is so bad that Crown prosecutors, whose offices are located in the midst of the maelstrom, are begging to move.
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In Nanaimo, authorities are now considering moving the Hub in light of resident feedback, but the city's social planning manager wasn't optimistic that a new location could be found. Of course, simply closing the thing isn't an option — it never is.
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That's Canada, 2025: instead of arresting the people whose crime and chaos destroy community for everyone else, or at least isolating them in facilities for people who can't take care of themselves (which the homeless and addicted can't), we shrug. Whether their problems surface before city councils or courts, the well-being of everyday, society-contributing, city residents remains a low priority.
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