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Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- Health
- Globe and Mail
After some Toronto supervised drug-use sites forced to close, remaining services shoulder the fallout
A great shift is underway in Toronto months after the closures of several supervised drug-use sites, as their users seek alternatives and drop-in centres see an alarming jump in overdoses. Some segments of the city's homeless population have resettled near remaining drug-use sites, but fluctuating intakes have been reported at different locations. The Toronto Drop-In Network said there has been a nearly 300-per-cent increase in overdoses at its 10 locations since the spring closures. At the same time, paramedics in the city are responding to significantly fewer overdose calls and the number of provincewide overdose deaths has markedly dropped. These changes have eased tensions in some parts of the city, while sparking anger in others. Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government banned drug-use sites within 200 metres of a school or daycare in legislation that came into effect on April 1, targeting 10 sites across the province. The Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site in Toronto launched a Charter challenge of the new law in court, and in late March a judge granted an injunction to keep them open. However, the other nine sites chose to convert to the province's new abstinence-based model – homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART, hubs – and closed. Which of Ontario's supervised drug consumption sites have the province targeted to close? Why are overdose deaths in Europe a fraction of those seen in North America? At the Kensington Market site, which receives all of its funding from private donors, traffic is up by 35 per cent, said supervisor Felipe Diaz. 'It's not what we hoped for, we thought we would be a lot busier,' Diaz said, noting that staff are handing out many more harm reduction kits. There have been wild oscillations in site use, he added. In May, 168 people used the drug-use site but that dropped to 68 in June, Diaz said. Traffic is up for other services, which include an on-site doctor and nurse. The site is growing, signing up about 12 new people a month, he said. But like several experts and drug users who spoke with The Canadian Press, Diaz said the practice of smoking fentanyl or meth instead of injecting the drugs is on the rise. On a recent visit to the Kensington Market site, Michelle Marshall popped out of the consumption room after injecting fentanyl. 'It's sad,' said Marshall, who has been sleeping in alcoves, parks and alleyways after being kicked out of a hotel shelter in the spring and splitting with her partner. 'There's too many of us out on the streets now. It's busier here then ever.' About a 20-minute walk down the road leads to Lois Dellert's home, which backs onto a graffiti-lined alley that connects on one end to a now-closed supervised drug-use site that was converted to a HART hub. The area also has other services for homeless people and a new shelter. Dellert said she is not opposed to drug-use sites and wants people to get the help they need. But she is against the drug use just outside her home and had been concerned about crime after seeing people sleeping on her property, fights, drug deals and discarded needles. The site's closure has calmed the area somewhat, Dellert said, and the alley appeared much cleaner last week. 'There's still drug use, but it's less and pretty much contained to the entrance near the laneway,' she said. The Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, a 20-minute drive farther west, has seen tremendous growth since the new drug-use site rules came into effect – especially since its sister site near Dellert's place closed. It has 180 new clients and recorded 1,731 visits from April to July, up from 1,220 in the same time period last year. A parkette next to the site has exploded with activity in recent months, partially because the city cleared a nearby encampment and erected a fence to prevent another one from popping up. Other encampments in the area were also recently cleared. 'We are seeing the absolute fallout of the decisions to close consumption sites,' said Angela Robertson, executive director of the health centre. 'We are seeing a migration from the closed sites and cleared encampments to now occupying public space in the parkette space adjacent to us and that has created a great deal of upheaval.' When The Canadian Press visited the location last week, two dealers arrived on bicycles, sold drugs to two people and quickly left. No one was doing drugs outside the health centre but many visitors admitted to smoking drugs in the parkette or on nearby streets. Several security guards kept watch as site staff checked on people. Neighbourhood group Residents for a Safe Parkdale said their concerns are being ignored and the centre's hired security does little to crack down on the 'chaos and disorder' in the area. 'The centre failed to state how it would address neighbourhood safety concerns with concrete, effective measures to end hard drug intoxication causing the criminal and anti-social conduct on and around the outdoor portion of this site,' the group wrote in a recent e-mail to Robertson that was also sent to the premier, other politicians and police. 'The entire neighbourhood is littered with drug paraphernalia such as used syringes, bloody alcohol swabs and smashed glass crack pipes that you give away,' the group wrote. But Robertson said the centre's job is not to remove people from the parkette. 'That's not our role,' she said. 'If we see something illegal, we will engage the neighbourhood community policing team. But it is a significant challenge.' The centre has been promoting smoking over injecting drugs as a harm reduction strategy, Robertson said. She and others believe that is one reason behind a notable drop in overdose complications and deaths. Toronto Paramedic Services said they've seen a 'general decline' in overdose calls since May 2024. In June, they responded to 181 non-fatal overdoses compared to 354 non-fatal overdoses in June 2024. Provincewide, there were 609 suspected drug-related deaths from April to June, according to the latest data from the Office of the Chief Coroner. That is an 11 per cent decrease from the previous three months and a 41 per cent drop from the same time frame last year. Back at the Parkdale health centre parkette, Lexi Murdoch settled into a chair after smoking fentanyl down the street. 'I hate this stuff,' she said, adding that she was considering treatment that previously helped her get off opioids for years. Murdoch said the government's move to shut down drug-use sites is 'already bringing chaos out in the open.' 'We need a closed-in area where we can smoke,' she said. 'I don't want to be out here, but unfortunately a lot of people are homeless.' A young person began nodding off on a nearby bench before falling unconscious. Another ran to the centre for help. Laila Bellony, a harm reduction manager at the site, sprang into action along with members of her team to administer oxygen. A few minutes later, the young person regained consciousness. 'It's been a busy few months,' Bellony said with a deep sigh.
CBC
07-08-2025
- Health
- CBC
Toronto community services face 'absolute fallout' of consumption site closures
Social Sharing A great shift is underway in Toronto months after the closures of several supervised consumption sites, as their users seek alternatives and drop-in centres see an alarming jump in overdoses. Some segments of the city's homeless population have resettled near remaining consumption sites, but fluctuating intakes have been reported at different locations. The Toronto Drop-In Network said there has been a nearly 300 per cent increase in overdoses at its 10 locations since the spring closures. At the same time, paramedics in the city are responding to significantly fewer overdose calls and the number of provincewide overdose deaths has markedly dropped. These changes have eased tensions in some parts of the city, while sparking anger in others. 1 site launched Charter challenge Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government banned consumption sites within 200 metres of a school or daycare in legislation that came into effect on April 1, targeting 10 sites across the province. The Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site in Toronto launched a Charter challenge of the new law in court, and in late March a judge granted an injunction to keep them open. However, the other nine sites chose to convert to the province's new abstinence-based model — homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART, hubs — and closed. At the Kensington Market consumption site, which receives all of its funding from private donors, traffic is up by 35 per cent, said supervisor Felipe Diaz. "It's not what we hoped for, we thought we would be a lot busier," Diaz said, noting that staff are handing out many more harm reduction kits. There have been wild oscillations in site use, he added. In May, 168 people used the consumption site but that dropped to 68 in June, Diaz said. Traffic is up for other services, which include an on-site doctor and nurse. The site is growing, signing up about 12 new people a month, he said. But like several experts and drug users who spoke with The Canadian Press, Diaz said the practice of smoking fentanyl or meth instead of injecting the drugs is on the rise. On a recent visit to the Kensington Market site, Michelle Marshall popped out of the consumption room after injecting fentanyl. "It's sad," said Marshall, who has been sleeping in alcoves, parks and alleyways after being kicked out of a hotel shelter in the spring and splitting with her partner. "There's too many of us out on the streets now. It's busier here then ever." WATCH | Province opened 9 HART Hubs on April 1: Ontario opens homelessness and addiction hubs, replacing consumption sites 4 months ago About a 20-minute walk down the road leads to Lois Dellert's home, which backs onto a graffiti-lined alley that connects on one end to a now-closed supervised consumption site that was converted to a HART hub. The area also has other services for homeless people and a new shelter. Dellert said she is not opposed to consumption sites and wants people to get the help they need. But she is against the drug use just outside her home and had been concerned about crime after seeing people sleeping on her property, fights, drug deals and discarded needles. The site's closure has calmed the area somewhat, Dellert said, and the alley appeared much cleaner last week. "There's still drug use, but it's less and pretty much contained to the entrance near the laneway," she said. Parkdale consumption site overloaded The Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, a 20-minute drive farther west, has seen tremendous growth since the new consumption site rules came into effect — especially since its sister site near Dellert's place closed. It has 180 new clients and recorded 1,731 visits from April to July, up from 1,220 in the same time period last year. A parkette next to the site has exploded with activity in recent months, partially because the city cleared a nearby encampment and erected a fence to prevent another one from popping up. Other encampments in the area were also recently cleared. "We are seeing the absolute fallout of the decisions to close consumption sites," said Angela Robertson, executive director of the health centre. "We are seeing a migration from the closed sites and cleared encampments to now occupying public space in the parkette space adjacent to us and that has created a great deal of upheaval." When The Canadian Press visited the location last week, two dealers arrived on bicycles, sold drugs to two people and quickly left. No one was doing drugs outside the health centre but many visitors admitted to smoking drugs in the parkette or on nearby streets. Several security guards kept watch as site staff checked on people. Neighbourhood group Residents for a Safe Parkdale said their concerns are being ignored and the centre's hired security does little to crack down on the "chaos and disorder" in the area. "The centre failed to state how it would address neighbourhood safety concerns with concrete, effective measures to end hard drug intoxication causing the criminal and anti-social conduct on and around the outdoor portion of this site," the group wrote in a recent email to Robertson that was also sent to the premier, other politicians and police. "The entire neighbourhood is littered with drug paraphernalia such as used syringes, bloody alcohol swabs and smashed glass crack pipes that you give away," the group wrote. But Robertson said the centre's job is not to remove people from the parkette. "That's not our role," she said. "If we see something illegal, we will engage the neighbourhood community policing team. But it is a significant challenge." The centre has been promoting smoking over injecting drugs as a harm reduction strategy, Robertson said. She and others believe that is one reason behind a notable drop in overdose complications and deaths. Toronto Paramedic Services said they've seen a "general decline" in overdose calls since May 2024. In June, they responded to 181 non-fatal overdoses compared to 354 non-fatal overdoses in June 2024. WATCH | Supervised consumption site challenges Ontario law: Supervised consumption site challenges Ontario law that will close 10 sites 5 months ago A drug consumption site in Toronto is taking the Ford government to court. The centre is challenging a provincial law that forces the closure of 10 supervised consumption sites deemed too close to schools or daycares. Provincewide, there were 609 suspected drug-related deaths from April to June, according to the latest data from the Office of the Chief Coroner. That is an 11 per cent decrease from the previous three months and a 41 per cent drop from the same time frame last year. Back at the Parkdale health centre parkette, Lexi Murdoch settled into a chair after smoking fentanyl down the street. "I hate this stuff," she said, adding that she was considering treatment that previously helped her get off opioids for years. Murdoch said the government's move to shut down consumption sites is "already bringing chaos out in the open." "We need a closed-in area where we can smoke," she said. "I don't want to be out here, but unfortunately a lot of people are homeless." A young person began nodding off on a nearby bench before falling unconscious. Another ran to the centre for help. Laila Bellony, a harm reduction manager at the site, sprang into action along with members of her team to administer oxygen.
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Toronto community services face 'absolute fallout' of consumption site closures
TORONTO — A great shift is underway in Toronto months after the closures of several supervised consumption sites, as their users seek alternatives and drop-in centres see an alarming jump in overdoses. Some segments of the city's homeless population have resettled near remaining consumption sites, but fluctuating intakes have been reported at different locations. The Toronto Drop-In Network said there has been a nearly 300 per cent increase in overdoses at its 10 locations since the spring closures. At the same time, paramedics in the city are responding to significantly fewer overdose calls and the number of provincewide overdose deaths has markedly dropped. These changes have eased tensions in some parts of the city, while sparking anger in others. Ontario Premier Doug Ford's government banned consumption sites within 200 metres of a school or daycare in legislation that came into effect on April 1, targeting 10 sites across the province. The Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site in Toronto launched a Charter challenge of the new law in court, and in late March a judge granted an injunction to keep them open. However, the other nine sites chose to convert to the province's new abstinence-based model — homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART, hubs – and closed. At the Kensington Market consumption site, which receives all of its funding from private donors, traffic is up by 35 per cent, said supervisor Felipe Diaz. "It's not what we hoped for, we thought we would be a lot busier," Diaz said, noting that staff are handing out many more harm reduction kits. There have been wild oscillations in site use, he added. In May, 168 people used the consumption site but that dropped to 68 in June, Diaz said. Traffic is up for other services, which include an on-site doctor and nurse. The site is growing, signing up about 12 new people a month, he said. But like several experts and drug users who spoke with The Canadian Press, Diaz said the practice of smoking fentanyl or meth instead of injecting the drugs is on the rise. On a recent visit to the Kensington Market site, Michelle Marshall popped out of the consumption room after injecting fentanyl. "It's sad," said Marshall, who has been sleeping in alcoves, parks and alleyways after being kicked out of a hotel shelter in the spring and splitting with her partner. "There's too many of us out on the streets now. It's busier here then ever." About a 20-minute walk down the road leads to Lois Dellert's home, which backs onto a graffiti-lined alley that connects on one end to a now-closed supervised consumption site that was converted to a HART hub. The area also has other services for homeless people and a new shelter. Dellert said she is not opposed to consumption sites and wants people to get the help they need. But she is against the drug use just outside her home and had been concerned about crime after seeing people sleeping on her property, fights, drug deals and discarded needles. The site's closure has calmed the area somewhat, Dellert said, and the alley appeared much cleaner last week. "There's still drug use, but it's less and pretty much contained to the entrance near the laneway," she said. The Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, a 20-minute drive farther west, has seen tremendous growth since the new consumption site rules came into effect – especially since its sister site near Dellert's place closed. It has 180 new clients and recorded 1,731 visits from April to July, up from 1,220 in the same time period last year. A parkette next to the site has exploded with activity in recent months, partially because the city cleared a nearby encampment and erected a fence to prevent another one from popping up. Other encampments in the area were also recently cleared. "We are seeing the absolute fallout of the decisions to close consumption sites," said Angela Robertson, executive director of the health centre. "We are seeing a migration from the closed sites and cleared encampments to now occupying public space in the parkette space adjacent to us and that has created a great deal of upheaval." When The Canadian Press visited the location last week, two dealers arrived on bicycles, sold drugs to two people and quickly left. No one was doing drugs outside the health centre but many visitors admitted to smoking drugs in the parkette or on nearby streets. Several security guards kept watch as site staff checked on people. Neighbourhood group Residents for a Safe Parkdale said their concerns are being ignored and the centre's hired security does little to crack down on the "chaos and disorder" in the area. "The centre failed to state how it would address neighbourhood safety concerns with concrete, effective measures to end hard drug intoxication causing the criminal and anti-social conduct on and around the outdoor portion of this site," the group wrote in a recent email to Robertson that was also sent to the premier, other politicians and police. "The entire neighbourhood is littered with drug paraphernalia such as used syringes, bloody alcohol swabs and smashed glass crack pipes that you give away," the group wrote. But Robertson said the centre's job is not to remove people from the parkette. "That's not our role," she said. "If we see something illegal, we will engage the neighbourhood community policing team. But it is a significant challenge." The centre has been promoting smoking over injecting drugs as a harm reduction strategy, Robertson said. She and others believe that is one reason behind a notable drop in overdose complications and deaths. Toronto Paramedic Services said they've seen a "general decline" in overdose calls since May 2024. In June, they responded to 181 non-fatal overdoses compared to 354 non-fatal overdoses in June 2024. Provincewide, there were 609 suspected drug-related deaths from April to June, according to the latest data from the Office of the Chief Coroner. That is an 11 per cent decrease from the previous three months and a 41 per cent drop from the same time frame last year. Back at the Parkdale health centre parkette, Lexi Murdoch settled into a chair after smoking fentanyl down the street. "I hate this stuff," she said, adding that she was considering treatment that previously helped her get off opioids for years. Murdoch said the government's move to shut down consumption sites is "already bringing chaos out in the open." "We need a closed-in area where we can smoke," she said. "I don't want to be out here, but unfortunately a lot of people are homeless." A young person began nodding off on a nearby bench before falling unconscious. Another ran to the centre for help. Laila Bellony, a harm reduction manager at the site, sprang into action along with members of her team to administer oxygen. A few minutes later, the young person regained consciousness. "It's been a busy few months," Bellony said with a deep sigh. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CBC
25-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
Overdoses increasing at Toronto drop-in centres since supervised consumption sites shut down, network says
Social Sharing Overdoses at drop-in centres in Toronto have sharply increased since the provincial government shut down four supervised consumption sites in April, according to a coalition of community agencies. Before the supervised consumption sites closed, there were typically less than 10 overdoses a month at drop-in sites — which include churches, food banks and neighbourhood centres — said Melanie Joy, manager of the Toronto Drop-In Network. Now, these sites are reporting overdoses in the high thirties every month, she said. Joy said this surge is happening throughout the city, not just in the downtown core. "It's been a dramatic increase, without an increase in resources or supports," she told CBC Radio's Metro Morning on Friday. down in 2025 compared to the previous two years. But Joy says TPH does not track overdoses that are happening in drop-in centres, in the community, or at the remaining supervised consumption sites that are still open. Downtown church has become an 'injection site' More than 50 community agencies are part of the Toronto Drop-In Network, including Metropolitan United Church, located at Queen Street E. and Church Street. Between 30 and 50 people use drugs on the church's property over the course of a day, said property manager Frank Cormier. He said he carries Naloxone on him at all times. Last summer, he said he used it about once a month, but now he's using it two or more times a week. WATCH | Province opened 9 HART Hubs on April 1: Ontario opens homelessness and addiction hubs, replacing consumption sites 4 months ago After the safe injection sites closed, Cormier said people who use drugs are lacking spaces to go for support. "Right now, Metropolitan United Church's front lawn has become the injection site," he told Metro Morning. On April 1, the province closed nine supervised consumption sites in Ontario — including four in Toronto — that were located within 200 metres of schools or daycares. The legislation is currently being challenged in court by Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site, a tenth site that was slated to close but is currently still open due to a legal injunction and fundraising. The nine sites that did close agreed to become Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs, an abstinence-based model that provides access to recovery and treatment systems for people struggling with addictions and mental health issues, but does not provide any drug consumption services. Province says 9 of 28 HART Hubs opened in April While the HART Hubs were meant to be fully operational by April 1, Joy said that's "not what we're seeing in reality." As of last month, several of the HART Hubs don't yet appear to have full slates of services up and running. At Toronto Public Health's HART hub, now running temporarily on the Esplanade, only one program of 10 is operational, with the rest planned to get underway this summer or beyond. The province said in a statement the nine HART Hubs replacing supervised consumption sites "opened, as planned on April 1, including those in Toronto, ensuring no gaps in the delivery of mental health support services." The government is spending $550 million to build a total of 28 hubs across the province that will provide people with 24/7 support, the statement reads. It is continuing to work with the remaining 19 hubs "to finalize operational budgets," the statement said. Joy said HART Hubs offer services that both people working in the sector and those who use drugs have long called for as additions to the supervised consumption site model, such as more detox beds, enhanced one-on-one case management, and counselling. But she said the hubs do not include key services typically provided by supervised consumption sites, such as access to clean needles, which help reduce the spread of infectious diseases. "It's frustrating that there wasn't the foresight to include all these services together in one place," Joy said. Meanwhile, Cormier said the government failed to adequately plan the transition from supervised consumption sites to HART Hubs. "The system changed suddenly, drastically, and it didn't seem like anybody thought about what the gap is going to be between one model and the next model," he said.
CTV News
23-07-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Overdoses at Toronto drop-in centres have spiked since closure of 4 supervised consumption sites: network
A Toronto-based network representing more than 50 drop-in centres and allied community agencies says overdoses recorded within these spaces have skyrocketed since new provincial legislation forced four supervised consumption sites (SCS) in the city to shut down this spring. According to data collected by the Toronto Drop-In Network (TDIN), overdoses at its member locations are up by 288 per cent in the month of June, compared to the previous year. The network said it immediately noted a sharp increase in overdoses at the drop-ins under its umbrella in the month following the closures, which were ordered to take effect by no later than March 31. The increase in April amounted to a 75 per cent jump from the same month in 2024. The following month, the city's drop-ins saw 175 per cent more overdoses than in May 2024, TDIN found. TDIN overdoses greaphic The Toronto Drop-In Network has seen a significant increase in the number of overdoses at its faciities since April. (Supplied) To put things in perspective, the network's manager said their member organizations, which serve people who are homeless, marginally housed, or socially isolated, were reporting less than 10 overdoses per month at their sites prior to the March closure of four supervised consumption sites in Toronto. Those numbers have now reached the high-60s, Melanie Joy said. Calling the increase 'staggering' and 'alarming,' Joy said drop-in staff have not been able to reverse every overdose they've encountered, and that there have been some fatalities. 'In addition to the tragic loss of human life, drop-in staff have now been forced to become first responders,' Joy said. 'Imagine what it's like to be serving a meal one minute, responding to an overdose the next, and then returning to meal service. The trauma associated with responding to an overdose cannot be quantified with a data point.' Naxalone kit A naloxone kit is seen in this updated photo. (Alana Everson/CTV News) The Toronto Drop-In Network started collecting overdose data at drop-in centres prior to the March 31 closure of the four supervised consumption sites, adding that in the last three months it has seen a 'devastating jump.' 'We predicted this would happen, and as a community we warned decision-makers. The community mobilized, petitioned, held vigils, and spoke out. But too many of our warnings were ignored,' Joy said. 'The services provided at SCSs reduce overdose deaths, prevent the spread of infectious disease, and connect people to critical community services including housing, mental health support, and care.' Responding to overdoses without supports 'terrifying': drop-in worker Sarah Ovens works at a drop-in centre in the city's downtown east area that previously had four supervised consumption sites in close proximity but is now down to two since this spring. She said she's experienced the reality of the overdose data gathered by TDIN firsthand. 'I hadn't crawled under a bathroom stall door in many years (to help someone experiencing an overdose), and we're back to having to do things like that,' she told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday evening. Sarah Ovens Sarah Ovens, who works at a drop-in centre in Toronto's downtown east area and is also a member of the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, chats with CTV News Toronto on July 16. Ovens, who is a member of the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, helped set up and operate Toronto's first unsanctioned overdose prevention site at Moss Park in 2017, which within about a year became a provincially funded consumption and treatment service that provided both supervised consumption as well as a range of services and supports for people who use drugs. 'And the difference between that and having somebody come running in the door screaming that somebody is not breathing outside, and you're not expecting it and you don't know how long they have been out there and have been without oxygen, and you're running to grab the naloxone and somebody call 911 … it's a really terrifying, awful experience for everybody involved,' she shared. 'There's no need for it. We have a proven, evidence-based that is so cheap. It's really so cost-effective to run these places and it's saved so much money to our system.' Ovens said people who use drugs in this city haven't disappeared, just because many of the places where they safely consumed unregulated substances shut down. 'Closing safe injection sites does not make people disappear. These people do not just, like, go poof into thin air. When you close these sites, they go somewhere and they still have struggles,' she said, adding this has led many to consume their substances in and around drop-in centres, in restaurants, businesses, coffee shops, and other unsafe places – often alone. 'This is what it was like before the sites opened and this is why many of us were so desperate to see (them) opened and why we worked so hard to get these sites opened.' Overdose prevention site tent A tent containing naloxone kits and injection implements is seen in Moss Park on Aug. 12, 2017. (CP24) Province reviewed SCSs after bystander killed Two summers ago, the province launched a review of supervised consumption services across Ontario after an innocent bystander was fatally shot near the South Riverdale Community Health Centre, at Queen Street East and Carlaw Avenue in Leslieville. In December, the Ford government passed legislation that made it illegal to operate a supervised consumption site within 200 metres of a school or daycare. The same legislation also prohibited municipalities or organizations from opening new sites or seeking federal money for safe supply programs, without the province's approval. That new law also put a freeze on any new supervised consumption sites. A spokesperson for the Ontario Minister of Health says the provincial government's 'focus is on offering people struggling with mental health and addictions challenges a pathway to treatment, not giving them tools to use illicit drugs.' They suggested that the government is doing that, in part, by transitioning nine of the 10 shuttered sites to Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. 'We are building a system of care focused on connecting people to treatment, support, and recovery, investing $550 million to build 28 new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs across the province. (They) provide people facing mental health challenges with 24/7 support to connect them with treatment and recovery options, while giving them support to break the cycle of addiction,' Ema Popovic said in a written statement provided to CTV News Toronto. The province previously said these hubs would offer '24/7 intake, medical monitoring and referrals; outreach, wrap-around services, and supportive housing connection substance use treatment and primary care, as well as outpatient medical specialty services.' None of what province promised has been fulfilled, says drop-in worker Ovens, however, charged that the promises made by the Ford government when it comes to HART Hubs have not be fulfilled. 'This smooth transition with the sites closing is absolutely false. None of what has been promised is available still to this day,' she said. 'People are now overdosing in our bathrooms and they're overdosing in our parking lot.' Popovic, meanwhile, said that 'each HART hub transitioning from a drug injection site, including those in Toronto, opened their doors on April 1st, as planned, and their operations were supported by funding from the province.' 'The Ministry has signed agreements for operational funding with each HART Hub that has met its obligations under its terms and conditions. For Hubs where they have yet to meet their obligations, we have extended start-up funding to continue to support their delivery of comprehensive mental health and addiction support with the goal of signing a permanent operational agreement as soon as possible,' she said. The Sanctuary Drop-In Centre Kathleen, a staff member at The Sanctuary Drop-In Centre in Toronto, opens the doors to a visitor, Thursday, March 26, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young) Joy, of TDIN, says the same life-saving harm reduction services and programs that were offered at the now-shuttered supervised consumption sites should still be made available to people who use drugs. 'We need infrastructure that includes harm reduction supports and care. Without it, we will continue to see a devastating increase in overdoses and overdose related deaths in drop-in centres and in the broader community,' the TDIN manager said. 'We are urging the province to include harm reduction services in the new HART Hub model, that includes safe consumption, safe inhalation and needle exchange. Harm reduction is the only evidenced-based model of care that prevents the spread of infectious diseases and loss of human life.' With files from CTV News Toronto's Siobhan Morris
