Safe drug supply advocate started selling illicit drugs, and was immediately arrested

Good morning,

A scandal is brewing. You might say it’s set beaks ablaze and wings flapping. Should the Stellar jay be replaced as B.C.’s symbolic bird by the rufous hummingbird? This humble newsletter writer says no. But what do you think?

That’s all the bird news for today, but there’s lots of other news to cover:

• Vancouver police arrest safe supply advocate selling drugs 💊

• What you need to know about travel impacts from the BMO Marathon 🏃‍♀️

• And some fun events and restaurants to check out this weekend 😋

Onwards.

— Geoff Sharpe, big bird fan and Vancity Lookout newsletter writer

If you find this newsletter valuable, please consider forwarding it to your friends. New to the Lookout? Sign-up for free.

WEATHER

Friday: 12 🌡️ 9 | 🌧

Saturday: 13 🌡️ 9 | 🌧

Sunday: 14 🌡️ 8 | 🌧

Monday: 17 🌡️ 9 | 🌧

VANCOUVER BY THE NUMBERS

🏃‍♀️ 20+: The number of transit routes affected on Saturday and Sunday by the BMO Marathon. [Vancouver Sun]

🚆 3: The number of SkyTrain stations closed yesterday because of a police incident in Metrotown that posed no safety to peple. The stations closed were Royal Oak, Metrotown and Patterson. [CTV]

🏗 35,000: The number of housing units that could be created with 100 rezoning applications. City staff say they are overloaded with the number of requests. [Vancouver Sun]

HEALTH

Drugs here, drugs there, drugs everywhere?

The details: Simply titled The Drugs Store, safe drug supply advocate Jerry Martin opened up a shop yesterday selling safety-tested illicit drugs. His goal was to help provide a safe supply of drugs, including heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and MDMA, according to Global News. Martin was selling 2.5 grams of the drugs, the amount a person is legally allowed to possess.

• Martin was subsequently arrested yesterday afternoon by Vancouver police for selling, unsurprisingly. illicit drugs, according to Global.

Background: It’s been seven years since a public health emergency was declared over the toxic illicit drug supply, in April 2017. Yet in that time, 11,000 people have died. The death rate per 100,000 people has also doubled to 47 in January 2023, up from 20.5, according to CBC. The legalization of small amounts of drugs by the province has not helped reduce the number of deaths from illicit drugs.

According to Vice, Martin hopes to use his arrest as a way to challenge Section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the right to life, liberty and security. This was the section that was used to end medical cannabis restrictions.

• Dig deeper: Vice shares a deep-dive into Martin’s personal life and why he launched the business.

Confusion abounds: Municipalities are also struggling with the new decriminalization laws, according to CBC. Cities are trying to balance where people can use drugs while also limiting their access to public places. A complicating factor is that according to CBC, bylaws that address public health issues, like decriminalization regulations, require Ministry of Health sign-off.

Thought-bubble: With the legalization by the B.C. government of small amounts of illicit drugs, something like this was bound to happen. Add in the worsening drug crisis that, even with years of knowing the problem, has only gotten worse, Martin is the first, but likely won’t be the last, to try and find new ways to stop illicit drug overdose deaths by challenging existing laws.

QUOTE

“People are dying… Especially now, they've allowed the entire province to do these drugs... But they’ve provided no clean, safe supply. They're getting it from the same supply that everybody's overdosing from.” Safe drug supply advocate Jerry Martin. [Vice]

THE AGENDA

🔍 A missing man’s family is asking for the public’s help to find him. Thirty-six-year-old Irshaad Ikbal went missing at Plaza of Nations on April 29. [CityNews]

🏥 The Vancouver Urban Health Centre is a unique health services facility that just opened in the Downtown Eastside. The facility brings multiple services under one roof, so patients aren’t waiting or moving around the community for access to different health services. [CTV]

🔥 Police are calling a fire that burned down a home in East Vancouver suspicious, and the Vancouver Police Department is investigating. Seven people are now without a home. [CityNews]

🌐 B.C. tech layoffs are not expected to stop anytime soon. Hundreds of workers at companies like Hootsuite have been laid off. Many of the largest companies with offices in Vancouver are laying off people, but it’s not clear how many will lose their jobs in Canada. [Vancouver is Awesome]

🎓 Critics are calling out UBC student society’s changes to their sexual violence and misconduct policy, which would include corrective action against accusers who make false allegations. On Friday the society voted to defer the changes. [CBC]

🏳‍🌈 Vancouver’s popular Pride Parade is getting a little bigger, with two days of festivities. The parade will begin at Davie and Denman, and go along Beach Avenue and Pacific Street There will also be music and vendors. [CBC]

🌊 Climate change is causing salmon migration to unsync with plankton blooms, which could put their survival at risk. [Business in Vancouver]tcaelectric

TRANSPORTATION

Here’s what’s affected by the BMO Marathon on Sunday

If you’re a runner, you love this weekend. If you aren’t a runner, you may hate it. The BMO Vancouver Marathon is back, so get ready for it to affect travel around town.

When: The race takes place this Sunday, with closures starting at about 6 am and continuing to 5 pm in some spots.

Planned closures: It’s, well, a lot. Check out the planned road closures here, which encompass most of the big neighbourhoods in Vancouver.

Areas such as Riley Park, Coal Harbour and other parts downtown will be closed starting on Saturday. Areas along the route will be closed Sunday. Expect detours all day. Here’s a more detailed breakdown, according to Vancouver Sun:

• Oak, Cambie and Granville: Expect delays on transit between 7:30 am-10 am.

• Coal Harbour: Closed from 6 am-5 pm. To access the area, use West Cordova from Burrard.

Transit detours: There will be major changes along most transit routes. On Saturday, 19, 22, 23, 33, 209, 210 and 211 will all be rerouted. An additional 15 other routes will be affected on Sunday.

For registered marathoners and half-marathoners, a shuttle service will operate throughout the city, though it will cost you money.

WEEKEND EVENTS

Markets

Eastside Flea | 550 Malkin Ave | Saturday and Sunday, 11 am-5 pm | 50 local vendors selling goods, clothing, plants, food and more | Free

Got Craft | Croatian Cultural Centre | Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-5 pm | Curated BC marketplace with 95 different vendors, plus food trucks | Tickets $5

Indonesian Night Market at Pacific Arts Market | Pacific Arts Market | Saturday, 3 pm-7 pm | Goods, food, drinks and entertainment from Indonesia | Free

Vancouver Hong Kong Fair | Anvil Centre | Sunday, 11 am-7 pm | Lots of vendors and activities where you can learn about the community | Free

Art + Music

Star Wars in Concert: Revenge of the Sixth | John Williams’ music from the movie performed live | Starting at $29

Visual Arts Open House and Pop-Up Opera | Queen Elizabeth Theatre | Saturday, 1 pm-4 pm | Artist talk and pop-up performance with members from the Vancouver Opera, performing some of their greatest hits in the lobby | Free

Food + Drink

BC Whiskies: New Releases & Rare Finds | 1637 Manitoba St. | Sunday, 3 pm-5 pm | Try nine different whiskies, including award-winning ones from this year | Tickets $57

Family

Kids First | The Polygon, 101 Carrie Cates Court | Saturday and Sunday, multiple times | Kids aged 5-12 can create their own art based on exhibitions at the gallery | $10 donation

Jane’s Walk | Around Vancouver | Now till Sunday | Join in talking conversation around the city, to discover and explore Vancouver neighbourhoods and connect with neighbours | Free

Sports

Abbotsford Canucks | Abbotsford Centre | Sunday, 7 pm | People are saying it feels like being at an actual Canucks game. Watch the team faceoff against the Calgary Wranglers in game five of their series | Starting at $30

Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place | Saturday, 7:30 pm | The team plays Minnesota United FC | Tickets $37

Cinco De Mayo: Lucha Libre Wrestling | Commodore Ballroom | Today, 7 pm | Five fast-paced matches, as luchadors face off against each other | Starting at $77

FOOD

Farm-to-table, a trip to Delhi and a prawn bash

Reviews

Sunflower Cafe: A 17-acre farm in Maple Ridge, their restaurant Yellow House, is a farm-to-table spot serving tasting menus, with high-end ingredients. Dishes include smoked brisket sliders, freshly baked bread, and a trout tart. [Vancouver Sun]

Wildlight Kitchen + Bar: Up by the UBC campus, with accessible sustainably sourced food, the restaurant’s meals are inspired by the Pacific Northwest. Dishes include a fish charcuterie board, salmon pastrami, marinated Salt Spring mussels and other sea-inspired dishes. [Vancouver Sun]

Openings

A Hallal Ribfest is coming to Surrey this summer, at Holland Park from June 2-4. Not just food, but also buskers, and shopping markets. [Dished]

Dilli Heights: A new snack spot has opened up at 436 Richards St., with Delhi-themed food. Think chaat and momos, with many affordable options. [Dished]

Please! Beverage Co: Premium small-bottle cocktails are the feature at this new spot in Mount Pleasant. They’ll also have food from Jamjar. [Noms]

News you can use

Two new self-guided food festivals are coming to Vancouver from June 21 to July 31, the Vancouver Ice Cream Festival and the Vancouver Summer Sips Festival.

Longtail Kitchen, located at Westminster Quay, is hosting a Spot Prawn BBQ Bash on May 20. Think you can eat an entire pound of spot prawns? [Scout]

PiDGiN has a brand new spring menu, with Korean and Asian inspirations, like nori ricotta and dried scallop sticky rice. [Scout]

Thinking of going somewhere this Mother’s Day? These 20 restaurants have something for everyone. [Vancouver Magazine]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• A cat is recovering after it was shipped as a package between Asia and Vancouver. Its new name is Precious Cargo. [CBC]

• Gastown may soon have more trees, which will help with the summer heat in the area. [Twitter]

• Five local mayors, including Vancouver, are competing to see who can raise the most for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. It’s a rare competition where everyone wins! [North Shore News]

• This is maybe the scariest ski jump ever and it was right here in East Vancouver. [CBC]

• Sad news — The Eastside Flea is closing June 15, but will re-open later in the fall once they find a new location. [Vancouver is Awesome]

• Who’s got the best burgers in the city? Golden Era, IT Char, Brg Brg, Between 2 Buns and the Gull were all Reddit favourites. [Reddit]

PHOTO OF THE DAY

Not a bad way to spend the evening.

GAME TIME

Thanks to Dan who correctly guessed yesterday’s VancouverGuesser which was Wreck Beach.

Think you’re good at games? Try our Vancouver Wordle.

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