By: Maya Barillas Mohan, Staff Writer
The Thomus Donaghy overdose prevention site (OPS) has experienced a series of relocations since its opening in 2021. Most recently, its planned reopening on June 1 was cancelled by the City Council.
The OPS, which was named after an OPS peer worker who was tragically killed, is a supervised space that allows drug consumption without risk of criminal persecution, instead focused on providing drug testing or other support services if necessary. According to the Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) website, OPSs “help save lives by responding to overdoses quickly,” “prevent the transmission of infectious diseases,” and connect “people to health services.” Further, they “bring stability to the community by [ . . . ] reducing consumption taking place on the street.”
The past Thomus Donaghy locations have been the Seymour street location, which closed in 2024, and the Howe street facility, which was closed January 2026. These sites were reportedly shut at the request of building owners, according to CBC and VCH. By early May, a new location on Helmcken was secured by VCH for the Thomus Donaghy OPS.
However, the relocation was stopped in its tracks by mayor Ken Sim. According to Daily Hive, complaints have been made by business owners about “worsening street disorder, untreated mental health challenges, addiction, public safety, and the growing strain on downtown businesses.” Further, Daily Hive shared that business leaders expressed there was “not enough consultation” on the new OPS location.
On May 27, minister of health Josie Osborne released a statement saying that VCH “will not proceed with the overdose-prevention site at 900 Helmcken St. at this time, and there is currently no planned date for opening.”
According to CTV News, mayor Ken Sim proposed a motion to “use all tools available” to prevent the opening of the Thomus Donaghy OPS. CTV News reported, “The motion passed by Council on Tuesday directs city staff to conduct a ‘comprehensive review’ of permits and approvals to make sure they comply with city bylaws and rules, telling staff to consider revoking permits or licences for the facility if ‘legally supportable.’”
The Peak reached out to the City of Vancouver and VCH for a statement, but did not receive a response prior to the publication date. At the time, it is unclear what tools the Council used to prevent the OPS opening.
The Peak also reached out to the BC Centre for Substance Use (BCCSU) for a statement, and was directed to BCCSU research scientist and interim director of research, Dr. M-J Milloy. He stated, “Evidence also shows that [OPSs] work best when located within areas with high rates of drug harms, such as the local health area around the Donaghy OPS, which has the second-highest rate of fatal overdose in BC.”
Milloy expressed that OPSs are “linked to lower risks of fatal overdose, infection with blood-borne pathogens, and higher rates of uptake of medical care, including treatment for substance use disorders.” He shared that “although they are not meant to resolve drug-related disorder — such as public drug use, drug-related litter, and crime — nine studies from around the world, including Vancouver [ . . . ] found [little to] no increases in crime in the wake of the opening of OPS there.
“By not worsening drug crime but improving important measures of public health, I believe OPS contribute to their communities.”
— Dr. M-J Milloy, BCCSU research scientist and interim director of research
Without the Thomus Donaghy centre, there are only 11 centres to respond to a far-reaching crisis. “Vancouver City Centre Local Health Area [records] the second highest rate of overdose deaths in the VCH region, and the second highest number of calls to BC Emergency Health Services,” according to VCH. As of May 5, VCH shared that the Thomus Donaghy OPS had received almost 150,000 visits and responded to nearly 500 overdoses. Without this OPS, no overdose support is provided to users in the downtown core.
