DOWNTOWN EASTSIDE -  Supporters of Canada's only legal supervised safe injection site took to the street to celebrate its tenth anniversary today. 

Hundreds of InSite supporters were on hand outside the facility this morning for pancakes, speeches and music. The ceremony was followed by the opening of a video/photo exhibit on the struggle for InSite at the nearby Interurban Gallery. 

The facility has had more than one million visits in the past decade with no loss of life. 

“We want an opportunity to thank all the members of our community who have worked so hard keep this vital life-saving service going,” said Liz Evans of PHS Community Services, which helps operate the facility. “It is a testament to the strength and resiliency of the Downtown Eastside community that, against all odds and an antagonistic federal government, we can celebrate this momentous occasion.”

Longtime advocate Dean Wilson explained that despite Prime Minister Stephen Harper's relentless efforts to shut InSite down, “the BC Supreme Court, BC Court of Appeal, and finally the Canadian Supreme Court all determined that the right of a drug user to receive primary care at InSite must be protected. That, combined with overwhelming public support, countless demonstrations, forums, vigils, and direct actions in Vancouver, Ottawa, and across the country, has kept InSite open.”