With a switch in plans for a Sixth Avenue building owned by the Yukon government, community consultation is of the utmost importance, say members of city council.

The government is planning to use the location, near Cook Street, for a safe consumption site.

But back in April, the government indicated to the city it was planning on using the vacant building at 6189 Sixth Ave. to provide general health care services, council heard at its meeting Tuesday evening.

But in July, the government informed the city it had a change in plans – and was instead opting to use the location for a safe or supervised consumption site.

Pat Ross, the city’s acting director of development services, told council the change in use to a safe consumption site still fit under the zoning for the provision of health care services.

Coun. Samson Hartland told his colleagues it’s a concern to him that the mayor and council learned of the plans for a consumption site at the same time as area residents did.

Hartland said he is not against the safe consumption site but is wondering if area residents were properly informed and consulted.

“I hope residents are fully consulted on a substantial change for that neighbourhood,” he said. “I know mayor and council have received a lot of emails.”

Ross said he has asked the government to keep the city in the loop as the project develops.

The department is getting phone calls that it’s redirecting back to the government, he said.

Ross said the government did hold a couple of public information sessions on Aug. 31.

But he said he was not aware of anything else the government has planned.

Coun. Steve Roddick said he couldn’t imagine locating a safe consumption site in any neighbourhood without a response from neighbours.

At this point, he suggested, it’s not about the location.

The discussion should focus on how it can work, Roddick said.

“I would hope that the Yukon government is having the conversation about how it will work in the neighbourhood,” he told his colleagues on council.

The government issued a press release Aug. 27 describing the supervised consumption site project and inviting residents to attend the Aug. 31 information session.

The site was originally scheduled to open Aug. 31. The opening has been postponed until the end of this month to account for renovations, staff training and to finalize details.

“Supervised consumption sites provide a safer and supportive place for people who use drugs to consume illicit substances in the presence of trained health professionals,” says the press release.

The supervised consumption site is an element of the Confidence and Supply Agreement reached between the Liberal government and the NDP caucus in April.

Establishing a supervised consumption site was part of the NDP’s election platform.

In return for the Confidence and Supply Agreement, the NDP has committed to propping up the minority Liberal government until the end of January 2023.

The supervised consumption site, or safe consumption site, provides a safe atmosphere where drug users can use their drugs in a supervised setting.

Drug users will have to bring their own drugs, as the facility will not be supplying drugs.

It’s commonly accepted that the Yukon is in an opioid crisis.

There have been 44 opioid-related deaths in the territory since 2016, 33 of which included fentanyl. There have been 14 opioid-related deaths so far this year in the Yukon.