People high on methamphetamines and other drugs will soon face the possibility of being detained for up to three days, under a bill passed by the Manitoba legislature Wednesday after a lot of political debates, threats and dares.
The bill allows authorities to hold people for up to 72 hours — an increase from the current 24-hour maximum that was traditionally aimed at alcohol use — at new “protective care” centres that have yet to be set up. An initial one is planned in central Winnipeg.
“This is politically incorrect, but I’m just going to say this happens already. This is the drunk tank,” Premier Wab Kinew said, referring to a detention facility currently run by the non-profit Main Street Project in Winnipeg.
“We’re talking about a drunk tank for people who are high on meth.”
The bill was supported by first responders, some parents of addicts and Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.
“I look out my (office) window every day and too often I see the same individuals, time and again, struggling,” Gillingham said.
But the change was opposed by some residents near the proposed first site who say they don’t want it in their neighbourhood. The bill was also criticized by some community groups who said holding people against their will for up to 72 hours effectively criminalizes addiction.
Mark Wasyliw, an Independent legislature member who was kicked out of the NDP caucus last year, said Wednesday the plan amounts to solitary confinement for addicts.
“A non-violent Manitoban suffering from a mental health issue … will be placed in a windowless solitary-confinement cell. They will eat just feet away from a toilet,” Wasyliw told the legislature while debating the bill.
The bill, expected to become law in the coming days, requires that a detained person be assessed at “reasonable intervals” to gauge their intoxication. They are also to be seen by a health professional after 24 and 48 hours.
The NDP government introduced the bill last month, late in the legislative calendar, and called on the Opposition to support the bill’s quick passage before the end of the session, scheduled for Thursday.
The Progressive Conservatives proposed amendments to the bill that would require annual reporting on the number of people being detained; forbid protective care centres within 500 metres of schools, daycares and similar buildings; and require public consultations on new sites. The amendments were defeated by the NDP majority in the chamber.
The NDP accused the Tories of delaying the bill and said their call for 500-metre buffer zones was unworkable. The Tories rejected the accusation and said they supported the bill’s aims but wanted to incorporate changes based on public feedback in a recent committee hearing.
As this week’s deadline neared, Kinew threatened to cancel a break scheduled for next week and extend the legislative session. He brought out supporters Wednesday for a last-minute press conference as the bill was heading to the final vote.
In the end, the bill was supported by New Democrats, Progressive Conservatives and Cindy Lamoureux, the lone Liberal member. The only vote against came from Wasyliw.
(This report by Steve Lambert of The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2025)
