Ontario’s Health Minister Sylvia Jones has announced new restrictions on supervised drug consumption sites, including a ban on the sites within 200 metres of schools and childcare centres, which will lead to the closure of 10 facilities.
The new provincial restrictions will include addiction recovery supports with new treatment hubs, called Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, that will add up to 375 highly supportive housing units, in addition to addiction recovery and treatment beds. There are currently 17 provincially regulated consumption sites in the province.
Thunder Bay’s Path 525 is a service operated by NorWest Community Health Centres. Due to the new restrictions, the facility will have to shut down because of its proximity to Ogden Community School. After the announcement, Thunder Bay released the following statement.
“The Ontario government’s recent announcement to change regulations is disappointing and will lead to the closure of Thunder Bay’s only Supervised Consumption Site. This affects the overall harm reduction approach outlined within the Council-approved Drug Strategy. The province has identified that more resources will be available to support people with addictions, and through the creation of Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. The City looks forward to seeing additional investments in harm reduction, treatment and recovery, prevention, and supportive housing to help those in need. Once more details on the HART Hub application process become available, the City expects that Thunder Bay will be considered an essential HART Hub location.
Addressing addictions and overdoses, and their associated physical and mental health issues, is a complex and multi-pronged endeavor. The city needs significant increases to current resource levels to make a difference. The most vulnerable need more help.”
The facility and nine others across the province must close no later than March 2025. All remaining sites will be required to implement increased safety and security plans, as well as policies to discourage loitering. Ontario’s health minister says safety concerns are the reason behind the new restrictions.
“We need to do more to protect public safety, especially for young school children, while helping people get the treatment they need, which is why we’re taking the next step to expand access to a broad range of treatment and recovery services, while keeping kids and communities safe,” said Jones.
Ontario is also introducing legislation that, if passed, prohibits municipalities from requesting the decriminalization of illegal drugs from the federal government. The plan began development last summer when a mother was killed by a stray bullet following an altercation near a safe consumption site in Toronto.
