THUNDER BAY — The city's only supervised drug consumption site faces closure as the result of new restrictions being imposed by the Ontario government.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the province will ban consumption and treatment services within 200 metres of schools and childcare facilities.
This means Path 525, the service operated by NorWest Community Health Centres on Simpson Street, will have to shut down because of its proximity to Ogden Community School
It and nine other facilities across Ontario must close no later than March 2025.
In addition, all remaining sites will be required to implement upgraded safety and security plans, as well as new policies to discourage loitering.
Jones, who made the announcement Tuesday at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario annual conference in Ottawa, said the government will invest about $380 million in 19 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs (HART) across the province.
There was no immediate word on where they will be located.
The plan was developed after a review that was initiated last summer when a mother was killed by a stray bullet following an altercation near a safe consumption site in Toronto.
"Communities, parents and families across Ontario have made it clear that the presence of consumption sites near schools and daycares is leading to serious safety problems," the minister said.
"We need to do more to protect public safety 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."
No one from NorWest Community Health Centres was immediately available for comment.
But Holly Gauvin, CEO of Elevate NWO – a not-for-profit organization that provides multiple support services to homeless individuals and others, including harm reduction supplies – expressed alarm.
"It's been a pretty devastating day in Thunder Bay in terms of harm reduction," Gauvin said.
"This morning, we found out there is rat poison in some of the fentanyl that's being distributed in Thunder Bay.
"We found out about this announcement that's coming down the pipe, and my staff found a dead body in a homeless encampment, most likely due to an overdose response."
Referring to the anticipated closure of Path 525, she said "You can imagine that we have pretty tight feelings about this announcement. We don't understand where it's coming from or why they would choose to close down such an effective program."
According to Gauvin, over 400 overdoses have been prevented at Path 525 since it opened, including nine in June alone.
"Surely to God, that is worth the work and the effort and the minimal funding that they receive, just to keep people alive and help them make the best choices they can possibly make in the circumstances they are in. . . It provides a place to turn to when people are ready to make different decisions."
A spokesperson for NorWest Community Health Centres said in 2022 that, by coming to Path 525, people are saying, " 'I don't want to die by overdose. Drug use is a part of my life, but I don't want it to end my life.' "
According to the government, the new HART hubs will provide a range of treatment and preventative services that could include:
- primary care
- mental health services
- addiction care and support
- social services and employment support
- shelter and transition beds
- supportive housing
- other supplies and services, including naloxone, onsite showers and food
It said the hubs will add up to 375 supportive housing units in addition to addiction recovery and treatment beds.
With a focus on treatment and recovery, the new hubs will not offer safer supply, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.
The government said the operators of the 10 supervised consumption sites being shut down will be encouraged to submit proposals to transition to HART hubs and will be prioritized for consideration.
It added that the new facilities could be eligible for up to four times more funding than the existing operations currently receive from the province as consumption sites.
The City of Thunder Bay issued a statement expressing disappointment over the forced closure of Path 525, saying this will impact the overall harm reduction approach outlined in the drug strategy approved by city council.
But it added that it expects the city to be considered an "essential" HART hub location, and that the city looks forward to seeing additional investments in harm reduction, treatment and recovery, prevention, and supportive housing.
"Addressing addictions and overdoses, and their associated physical and mental health issues, is a complex and multi-pronged endeavour. The city needs significant increases to support current resource levels to make a difference. The most vulnerable need more help," the statement concluded.
