Parents are raising alarm over safety concerns near a supervised drug use site in Montreal’s Southwest borough, after students from a nearby elementary school were found playing with illicit drug paraphernalia during recess.
Earlier this week, parents reported that children at Victor Rousselot Elementary were discovered handling a used crack pipe in a park adjacent to the school. One six-year-old allegedly put it near their mouth.
“It’s terrifying, and it’s exactly what parents are afraid of,” said Sarah El Queifi, a local resident. “There have been many incidents like this over the past year.”
The incident has renewed criticism of the proximity of the Maison Benoît Labre supervised injection site, which also serves people experiencing homelessness.
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Since its opening over a year ago, residents say they’ve witnessed an increase in drug use and public disturbances in the neighbourhood.
“This isn’t about hiding children’s eyes from homelessness,” said Michael MacKenzie, McGill Canada Research Chair in Child Well-Being. “This is about kids seeing sex acts on the sidewalk weekly. This is about trying to put kids to bed at night with people screaming in the street outside their door.”
Officials from both the school and the site say they are “profoundly concerned” and are working together to improve safety in the area. A cleaning brigade now conducts a safety sweep before classes and again before lunchtime to ensure the park is safe for children.
In June, the Quebec government tabled legislation that would require a minimum 150-metre distance between injection sites and schools.
Parents say the situation requires immediate action.
“We have been asking for a year,” said El Queifi. “The politicians who are making decisions for funding and placement, they need to see the situation with their own eyes.”
MacKenzie added, “People need help — but that help should also respect the well-being and safety of the community.”
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