Edmonton Griesbach MP Kerry Diotte called safe injection sites a “shooting gallery” during a radio interview Friday – a choice of words Ward 6 City Councillor Scott McKeen strongly disagrees with.
Diotte recently held a town meeting to hear his constituents’ thoughts on the proposed Boyle McCauley Health Centre safe injection site located in his riding.
“That's the terminology that I've heard from my constituents. That's what they're calling it and you know, it's a legitimate fear,” Diotte said.
McKeen took exception to Diotte’s language.
“It evokes the image of the most depraved sort of drug house or drug den where everybody's sitting around in a haze,” McKeen said. “This is the exact opposite of that.”
The three proposed injection sites – Boyle McCauley Health Centre, Boyle Street Community Services and George Spady Centre – would all be located in McKeen’s ward.
“So for someone to throw a hand grenade, a rhetorical hand grenade in like he did, will make my life way more difficult,” McKeen said.
Diotte argues that residents were not properly consulted and wants council to delay the federal application process until more people have their voices heard.
With files from Jeremy Thompson
