Health Contact Centre (overdose prevention site)

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At its regular meeting on March 29, 2021, City Council approved the Temporary Use Permit for the Health Contact Centre. The Centre is set to start operating the week of April 12, 2021.

Click here to view the Council meeting recording from March 29, and click here to read the Council package and all public correspondence received.


In July 2020, City Council directed City staff to work with Fraser Health to explore an Overdose Prevention Site in New Westminster. An application has now been received for a Health Contact Centre, including overdose prevention services, in downtown New Westminster. A Temporary Use Permit is required to establish the Centre.

What's being proposed?

The Lower Mainland Purpose Society has applied to become the operator for the New Westminster Health Contact Centre that will include overdose prevention services at their existing location on Begbie Street. The Health Contact Centre will provide a number of wrap-around services, such as witnessed consumption, drug checking, harm reduction supplies, peer employment opportunities, education on safer drug use, and will include regular needle sweeps of the surrounding area. These services will work in tandem with the existing services already offered by Purpose Society. This project is a partnership with Fraser Health, which initiated the creation of the Centre and will be providing the funding.

As a Health Contact Centre is not permitted use in the current zoning, a Temporary Use Permit is required. The Permit will allow the Centre to operate for three years and, after that time, may be extended. New Westminster City Council may attach conditions to the issuance of the permit to ensure that the impacts of the temporary use on existing businesses and properties are mitigated.

Where can I find more information?

Scroll down (under "More Information") for additional information about the services planned for the centre, hours of operation, staffing levels, etc. Also check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on the right-hand menu of this page (or scroll down if on mobile). You can also access reports to Council under the Documents section in the right-hand menu.

Joint Applicant and City-led Virtual Consultation

Thank you to all who attended the virtual information session and/or provided written feedback.

All information received during the first feedback period was presented to Council for their use in consideration of the application in a report on March 1, 2021.

Information Session (Virtual)

The Purpose Society, Fraser Health and the City held an information session in a virtual format on February 17, 2021. At the session, project representatives presented the proposal and respond to questions. Thank you to all those who attended the session. Skip to 9:25 in the session recording video above to listen to the presentations from Fraser Health and Purpose Society. Please click here to access the presentation slides, or you can access them in the Documents menu on the right-hand side (or below on mobile).

At its regular meeting on March 29, 2021, City Council approved the Temporary Use Permit for the Health Contact Centre. The Centre is set to start operating the week of April 12, 2021.

Click here to view the Council meeting recording from March 29, and click here to read the Council package and all public correspondence received.


In July 2020, City Council directed City staff to work with Fraser Health to explore an Overdose Prevention Site in New Westminster. An application has now been received for a Health Contact Centre, including overdose prevention services, in downtown New Westminster. A Temporary Use Permit is required to establish the Centre.

What's being proposed?

The Lower Mainland Purpose Society has applied to become the operator for the New Westminster Health Contact Centre that will include overdose prevention services at their existing location on Begbie Street. The Health Contact Centre will provide a number of wrap-around services, such as witnessed consumption, drug checking, harm reduction supplies, peer employment opportunities, education on safer drug use, and will include regular needle sweeps of the surrounding area. These services will work in tandem with the existing services already offered by Purpose Society. This project is a partnership with Fraser Health, which initiated the creation of the Centre and will be providing the funding.

As a Health Contact Centre is not permitted use in the current zoning, a Temporary Use Permit is required. The Permit will allow the Centre to operate for three years and, after that time, may be extended. New Westminster City Council may attach conditions to the issuance of the permit to ensure that the impacts of the temporary use on existing businesses and properties are mitigated.

Where can I find more information?

Scroll down (under "More Information") for additional information about the services planned for the centre, hours of operation, staffing levels, etc. Also check out the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section on the right-hand menu of this page (or scroll down if on mobile). You can also access reports to Council under the Documents section in the right-hand menu.

Joint Applicant and City-led Virtual Consultation

Thank you to all who attended the virtual information session and/or provided written feedback.

All information received during the first feedback period was presented to Council for their use in consideration of the application in a report on March 1, 2021.

Information Session (Virtual)

The Purpose Society, Fraser Health and the City held an information session in a virtual format on February 17, 2021. At the session, project representatives presented the proposal and respond to questions. Thank you to all those who attended the session. Skip to 9:25 in the session recording video above to listen to the presentations from Fraser Health and Purpose Society. Please click here to access the presentation slides, or you can access them in the Documents menu on the right-hand side (or below on mobile).

  • Combined Applicant- and City-led Engagement: Findings

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    The public consultation was designed to be consistent with the City’s COVID-19 interim development review process, which enables development applications to move forward for review and public engagement in alignment with Provincial Health Orders.

    The community was invited to ask questions or provide comments by:

    • Attending an online, virtual information session held using a webinar format on February 17, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
    • Submitting a question or comment on the Be Heard project page that was launched on January 27, 2021.
    • Providing feedback directly to City staff through email, mail or phone.

    Comments and questions were requested to be submitted by February 24, 2021 to allow for inclusion in the staff report to Council on March 1, 2021.

    There were 17 participants at the information session. A total of 12 written comments and questions were submitted, plus a number of questions asked live. A total of 22 comments and two questions were received through the Be Heard page, and a total of eight emails and eleven calls were received by staff.

    The questions and comments received have been reviewed by staff and summarized in Attachment 1 (page 9) of the report to Council.

  • More info about the Centre

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    In July 2020, New Westminster City Council directed City staff to work with Fraser Health on the establishment of an overdose prevention site and the implementation of a Safe Supply Program. Fraser Health has been actively exploring options for the establishment of a Health Contact Centre, which would include an overdose prevention site and other harm reduction services in New Westminster.

    Fraser Health selected Purpose Society as the non-profit operator. With this partnership in place, Purpose Society has applied for a Temporary Use Permit to allow a Health Contact Centre at their existing location at 40 Begbie Street. The Centre would be located on the main floor of the building, which currently accommodates Purpose Independent School.

    The Centre would be open from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily and would provide:

    • witnessed consumption
    • drug testing
    • harm reduction supplies
    • take-home Naloxone Kits
    • training on Naloxone
    • education on safe drug use
    • nutritional information
    • a medical clinic
    • regular needle sweeps of the neighbourhood, and
    • referral to treatment centres and other economic and/or health services.

    The Centre would be staffed by four workers each day. In addition, a Site Coordinator would be on-site five days per week to liaise with the City, local businesses and community organizations. The Coordinator would ensure that a Good Neighbour Policy is implemented immediately upon opening to help ensure the least possible disruption to the neighbourhood and work with the local business community on existing initiatives that have been launched with the objective of reducing stigma.

    The existing multi-service agency model developed and used by Purpose Society is based on principles of the social determinants of health. This model recognizes that intersecting economic and social conditions, such as education, food security, housing and income, have a significant impact on individual health outcomes. With the addition of a Health Contact Centre, Purpose Society would expand its programming and effectively offer wraparound support services for vulnerable community members.