Health Canada is being asked to approve safe injection sites to serve four Montreal boroughs.

The health and social services board that covers the centre-east portion of the city wants the federal agency to issue an exemption to allow for the three fixed sites and one mobile unit for intravenous drug users.

If approved, these sites would follow strict guidelines that have been used for years as place like Cactus Montreal, where IV drug users are monitored by healthcare professionals.

The existing safe-injection sites in Montreal are visited about 75,000 times each year.

Mayor Denis Coderre said safe injection sites are an integral part of healthcare for people at risk, and reminded naysayers that part of healthcare is protecting people from themselves, noting that safe injection sites limit overdoses and the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C.

"We are ready for these sites. We need the mobile site because in pursuing our team process it's important to go to them, to explain things to [drug users]," said Coderre.

The fixed sites will be operating downtown the Plateau, and in Hochelaga, while the mobile sites will operate in Verdun, the Southwest borough, and Montreal North, Ahuntsic, and in other neighbourhoods.

Coderre said the sites should be operational by the fall.

Feds disagree

The federal justice minister says his government will uphold the country's drug laws in response to Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre's commitment to proceeding with safe injection sites with or without Ottawa's blessing.

The Conservative government is focused on treating drug addicts as opposed to making "more available access to often illegal drugs," Peter MacKay told reporters Thursday.

Earlier in the day, Coderre said the city will open supervised injection facilities -- where people can inject drugs without fear of arrest -- regardless of what Ottawa says about it.

Coderre said the project has been approved by city council and the provincial government. Montreal police have also been consulted.

The federal government must grant an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act in order for a safe injection site to operate.

Quebec officially asked for the exemption at the beginning of May, but Ottawa has been publicly and strongly opposed to granting licences for facilities where people can inject drugs legally.

The only supervised injection facility in Canada is in Vancouver.

In 2011, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that denying citizens access to safe injection sites was unconstitutional because it deprived people of potentially life-saving medical care.

In response to the court decision the Conservative government drafted a law -- currently before the Senate -- that imposes strict rules on the granting of licences to operate such sites.

MacKay said his government wants to ensure the communities located around proposed injection sites are consulted and "it's clear our intent is to uphold the law."

"I understand very well the law of the land," he said.

"Mayor Coderre should know that Ottawa has continually emphasized the need to consult and ensure Canadians living in these communities that would be home to these safe injection sites are given their say."

-With a file from The Canadian Press