THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay’s Path 525 has been chosen as one of nine safe drug consumption sites that will transition into a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub.
The province made the announcement on Thursday it was approving the transition from safe consumption site to the new model of treatment hubs for most of the 10 sites that are slated for closure at the end of March, all located within 200 metres of schools and licensed child-care centres. The other locations are in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, and Guelph.
“We have heard loud and clear from families across Ontario that drug injection sites near schools and child-care centres are making our communities less safe,” said Sylvia Jones, deputy premier and minister of health, in a news release. “Through these nine new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, part of our government’s $378 million investment to create a total of 19 hubs across the province, we are taking the next step in our plan to keep communities safe while improving access to mental health and addictions services.”
Path 525, which is operated by NorWest Community Health Centres, is the only consumption and treatment services site in Northern Ontario.
The nine approved sites will be transitioned to the HART Hub model by March 31 and these sites will be able to receive up to four times more funding to support treatment and recovery than they did as safe consumption sites, the province says.
The hubs include services such as primary care and mental health services including addiction care and support, social services and employment support.
They will not support the safe consumption of illicit drugs.
The decision by the province to close Path 525 was met with concern by harm reduction workers and activists and opposing politicians.
