Craig Ferris, KC, FCIArb. Quoted in Vancouver Sun Article on Requirements for Overdose Prevention Sites in Vancouver
Lawson Lundell lawyer Craig Ferris, KC, FCIArb. was quoted in an article by the Vancouver Sun on the settlement of a recent a lawsuit which alleged that mismanagement of a downtown Vancouver overdose prevention site was damaging the surrounding neighbourhood. Craig was also lead counsel for the plaintiff in this matter.
The piece discusses the challenges faced in operating overdose prevention facilities, the impact on the surrounding communities, and the effect this settlement will have on the functioning of these facilities going forward. "As part of the settlement, which was finalized in September, Vancouver Coastal Health has committed to following the Ministry of Health’s first set of minimum service standards for overdose prevention sites, which were finalized earlier this year, and the City of Vancouver commits to consulting with neighbourhood groups before opening new sites."
“I would say it’s progress,” Craig said. “What had been done before was a really poor outcome for the public, where there were no standards and no public input. It was just everybody sort of saying: ‘It’s not my problem,’" he added. “And I think that from that perspective, we significantly moved the public process forward, hopefully to give people a voice and have some standards imposed.”
Read the full article here.