Cross-posted to ChangeEverything.ca

I’ve had the chance to write about a lot of public policy initiatives. But few have given me more satisfaction than Vancouver’s four pillars strategy, especially the safe injection site.

On one level, it’s the sheer impact that the site has had in saving lives among a population that has little voice and less influence at City Hall, the Legislature and Parliament Hill.

And on another level, the entire initiative said so much about our willingness to embrace creative solutions that break out of preconceptions in the name of just working. The drive towards this came from some of the most marginalized people in Vancouver, yet was embraced by a mayor from the NPA, and then enacted by a former cop. The initial wave of understandable fear gave way to strong community support, with one of the strongest opponents running in the last municipal election on behalf of Larry Campbell’s Vision Vancouver team. (Full disclosure: I wrote several speeches for Mayor Campbell and one for Vision in the last campaign.)

Now the Harper government has to decide whether to extend Insite’s lease on life – a decision that has to come before September 12. Given the harsh, punitive stance that so many in that cabinet take regarding drug use, and the fact that none of them seem to see it as a public health issue, the situation doesn’t look promising without a lot of public pressure.

Where can you turn to help apply that pressure? The Insite for Community Safety site is a good place to start.