Mark your calendars for a night of delicious fun and community spirit at the Rotary Club of New Westminster’s 5th Annual Bevies & Bites! This popular 19+ event takes place at the Royal City Centre and promises an evening of delightful bites, refreshing beverages, and great company – all supporting a good cause.

Attendees can enjoy a variety of beverage tastings from top-notch vendors such as Granville Island Brewing Co., Yellow Dog, Steel and Oak, Red Truck, Pacific Breeze, Dageraad Brewing Co., Rain City Juicery, Train Wreck Brewing Co., Humble Bee Meadery, Russell Brewery, Snowgoose, Wildeye Brewing, Sharpe Distillery, Luppolo Brewing Co., Salt Spring Wild Cidery, and Moody Ales. A selection of food vendors will be announced soon to pair with these incredible beverages.

In addition to the tastings, the evening will feature fun fundraising activities, including a 50/50 draw and a silent auction. Your ticket includes access to all tastings, delicious bites, and a souvenir-tasting glass to remember the night.

This is a fantastic opportunity to mingle with fellow community members while supporting the Rotary Club’s initiatives. Don’t miss out on this exciting event – tickets are expected to sell quickly!

Get Your Tickets Now!

⏩️ New West Moves Forward with Harm Reduction Plan, Inhalation Site Approved

After a heated debate, New Westminster City Council has voted 5-2 to approve an indoor drug inhalation site in the city’s downtown. The facility, which will be co-located with the existing supervised injection site near the SkyTrain station on Begbie Street, is part of the city’s broader harm reduction strategy to address addiction, homelessness, and mental health crises.

The decision came despite opposition from Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, both of whom argued that more public consultation was needed and that resources should be directed toward detox and recovery services instead. Motions to delay the decision or gather additional community input were both defeated by the same 5-2 margin.

City staff emphasized that the inhalation site responds to a growing trend—67% of overdose deaths in 2024 involved smoking rather than injection. The proposed site, located within the existing health contact centre on Alexander Street, will feature a supervised communal inhalation space rather than private booths. Trained staff will monitor users, though no doctors or nurses will be present.

Supporters argue that the facility will help prevent overdose deaths by providing a safer alternative for those using unregulated drugs. Harm reduction advocate Guy Felicella, who has visited similar sites in Vancouver and Victoria, stressed the need for such spaces, noting that smoking drugs alone increases the risk of fatal overdoses.

Critics, including Minhas and Fontaine, raised concerns about concentrating more harm reduction services downtown and the potential for increased crime and disturbances. Fontaine called for a stronger focus on detox services, while Minhas warned the site could negatively impact local businesses and residents.

Despite the controversy, Mayor Patrick Johnstone and supporting councilors defended the plan, pointing to expert recommendations and the urgent need for action in the face of an escalating toxic drug crisis.

The next steps include a building code feasibility study and cost assessment for necessary upgrades, including ventilation improvements. If viable and funded, the city will expedite permits for the facility. If not, alternative locations will be explored.

As New Westminster moves forward with its broader crisis response pilot project, which includes supportive housing and emergency shelter expansion, the debate over harm reduction strategies is likely to continue.

Read the full article here.

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Bevies & Bites + Inhalation Site Approved

Issue #139

Read New West Spotlight Online

February 12, 2025

February 13, 2025

February 14, 2025

😋 Sip, Savor, and Support at Bevies & Bites – 5th Annual Event!