Sarah Blyth to run for Vancouver city council after standing on the front lines of a drug crisis

A familiar name plans to be on Vancouver’s municipal election ballot this fall.

Sarah Blyth has announced that she’s hoping to snag a seat at the table as an independent.

Blyth said she’s most interested in tackling housing affordability and the opioid crisis — something she’s had first-hand experience with working at supervised injection sites.

READ MORE: Leadership Series: Leading the fight from the front lines against the overdose crisis

“We need city councillors and public officials that are strong and that push on making some of these decisions on the opiate crisis… like decriminalization, a reality. And we need people within government doing that,” she said.

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Yes its true I am running for City Council in #Van2018#vanpoli

— Sarah Blyth (@sarahblyth) April 18, 2018

Blyth is the founder of the Overdose Prevention Society, which spearheaded several pop-up injection sites in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

As for whether she’s open to a coalition, she’s not outlining anything specific right now.

READ MORE: ‘You’re like in a war zone’: Report says frontline workers in B.C. opioid crisis risk burnout, PTSD

“I’m interested in supporting the candidate that’s progressive, that’s going to win, and I think we all need to,” she said.

“We have to see who comes forward, identify who the people want, who they’re going to vote for, and then we need to support that person.”

Blyth is promising to remain on the front lines of the grassroots movements she’s been a part of if she’s elected.

The municipal vote takes place in October.