WINNIPEG -- A recently built protective care centre in central Winnipeg has started to detain people intoxicated with methamphetamines and other drugs for up to 72 hours.
The Manitoba government passed a law last fall to extend detentions beyond 24 hours -- a time frame designed for people intoxicated by alcohol -- and set up a building with small cell-like rooms.
Premier Wab Kinew says work has been done to ensure there is enough medical oversight and other services that physicians have called for.
The new protective care centre is run by Main Street Project, a non-profit that has for decades run a nearby 24-hour centre commonly called the "drunk tank."
The announcement came on the first day of the spring sitting of the Manitoba legislature, which was dominated by health care.
The Opposition Progressive Conservatives reiterated calls for a public inquiry into the deaths of four people who faced long waits in hospitals.
Kinew said critical incident reviews, which are not public but provide information to the families, should provide answers.
This report by was first published March 4, 2026.