Last week in Calgary, Mayor Jyoti Gondek and councillors announced that if re-elected, the administration will enact a zero-tolerance policy for open-air drug use. They voted for a pilot project that could give peace officers and transit police expanded powers to enforce public safety, and also to redirect offenders to a court diversion program with addiction support.

For many Calgarians, this announcement may feel overdue. It is also a sign that the tide is finally turning toward an approach that balances compassion with accountability.

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