Latest news with #supervisedConsumption
CBC
4 hours ago
- Health
- CBC
Visits up at Toronto's remaining consumption sites, 2 months after province forced 4 to close
Social Sharing Toronto's remaining supervised consumption sites say they've gotten busier in the two months since the province forced four sites to close — part of a changing picture of drug use in the city as Ontario continues its move toward an abstinence-based treatment model. "We are seeing more people, and people are changing their behaviour," said Bill Sinclair, CEO of the Neighbourhood Group, which runs the Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site. Sinclair told CBC Toronto that that site has seen a 30 per cent uptick in visitors since April 1, when nine Ontario supervised drug consumption sites — four of them in Toronto — were forced to close under provincial legislation that prohibits sites from operating within 200 metres of a school or daycare. "People are using [drugs] differently," Sinclair said. "There's been a trend for a while of smoking rather than injecting, because of the perception that that is safer … people are doing their best to try to anticipate what a world might look like when the sites are not there." Fred Victor charity, which operates a supervised consumption site at Queen Street E. and Jarvis Street, has also clocked between 15 and 35 per cent more weekly visits. "It is stretching our staff to try to build the trusting relationships they've been trying to establish," said the charity's CEO Keith Hambly, adding that user numbers could go up even more after the summer months since some people are more inclined to use outdoors during warmer weather. Casey House, which runs a supervised consumption site for registered clients only, has seen a 25 per cent increase in its use, as well as more drug use outside of its facility — prompting it to extend its hours. Street Health on Dundas Street E. says it had 82 per cent more visits year-over-year in April, and 53 per cent more visits year-over-year in May, requiring more staff to be scheduled. Meanwhile, Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre says it hasn't seen a substantial increase in clientele post-closure, leading to concerns about the welfare of drug users that are no longer seeking out consumption sites. "We know some have used the Kensington site, and we are very concerned about what is happening for others we have not seen," wrote executive director Angela Robertson in an email. Leslieville 'a lot quieter,' say neighbours Meanwhile, people who live and work nearby what was one of the city's most scrutinized consumption sites say there's been a dramatic change since it closed. South Riverdale Community Health Centre made headlines in July 2023, when a woman named Karolina Huebner-Makurat was killed by a stray bullet while walking by. Since the consumption site closed, neighbour Derek Finkle — who was a vocal opponent of the site both before and after the shooting — says that the drug deals and open drug use he used to see on a regular basis has "virtually disappeared." "I've noticed there's nobody hanging around the fronts anymore. It's gotten a lot quieter," said Allen Malloy, owner of Daniel Jewellers on Queen Street E. "It's kind of like someone flipped a switch," said Nigel Fick, a co-owner of Culture Athletics, also on Queen. "When the site was open our business was significantly directly impacted," Fick said. "We had over $75,000 of theft and damages, and regular occurrences of dealing with theft and harassment inside the store." South Riverdale Community Health Centre declined a CBC News request for an interview. Ontario's new model As the city's drug users navigate the closure of consumption sites, there are still a number of unanswered questions as to how the new services that are available will impact drug use and overdose numbers. Of the 10 consumption sites mandated to close under the new provincial law, nine opted to take provincial money and transition into Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs, or HART hubs. The 10th, Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site, chose instead to take the Ford government to court over its legislation and is currently staying open thanks to a legal injunction and "fundraising like mad" to stay afloat, said Sinclair. The province said in a statement that all nine HART hubs were up and running by April 1, "ensuring the continuity of mental health support services" post-closure. WATCH | Health minister defends closures: Health minister defends decision to shut 5 safe drug consumption sites in Toronto 10 months ago Duration 6:46 Five supervised drug consumption sites are slated to close in Toronto after the provincial government announced a ban on such facilities near schools and child-care centres. CBC Metro Morning host Molly Thomas spoke to Health Minister Sylvia Jones about the changes. Advocates described "mass confusion" on the ground at the centres in early April, which received start-up funding from Ontario, but, according to the Ministry of Health, have yet to nail down finalized funding agreements with the government. Two months later, 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. Meanwhile, data suggests that overdoses are declining in Toronto and in Ontario more widely. According to data from Toronto Public Health, fatal and non-fatal opioid overdose calls are down in 2025 compared to the previous two years and continued to fall over the month of April. Hayley Thompson, the managing director of Toronto's Drug Tracking Service housed within St. Michael's Hospital, speculated in April that the decrease could be attributed to a decrease of the amount of fentanyl in the drug supply.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Maison Benoît Labre may have to move safe consumption site 7 metres under proposed Quebec law
The Maison Benoît Labre says it is willing to conform with new rules proposed in Bill 103 if the government commits to supporting the organization. The bill was tabled on May 6 to 'regulate supervised consumption sites in order to promote their harmonious cohabitation with the community.' Consultations are ongoing. The Saint-Henri non-profit's biggest obstacle will be to meet the new requirement for safe consumption sites to be at least 150 metres away from schools and daycares. The Maison Benoît Labre made headlines last year when neighbours complained about the day centre for homeless people opening the city's first supervised drug consumption site, saying they felt unsafe. The new bill seemed to be targeting the organization, according to its director. Andréane Désilets, director of the Maison Benoît Labre, told the National Assembly that several steps have been taken since to integrate it into the neighbourhood better. Those include consulting with the borough, public health authorities, Montreal police, other community organizations, and other community organizations, going door-to-door, and more. The organization has been helping vulnerable and homeless people in Montreal's Sud-Ouest borough for over 70 years. It provides meals, psychosocial support, over 30 transitional housing units, a 24/7 day centre, and outreach. 'Matter of life and death' Maison Benoît Labre would have to move its safe consumption site just seven metres to meet the new rules while keeping its transitional housing units and day centre where they are. Désilets stressed that there cannot be a break in services while the organization looks for a new space as 'it's a matter of life and death.' She said the housing crisis, affordability crisis and opioid crisis are all compounding and have gotten worse in recent years. 'People are dying of overdose every day all over Quebec, men, women, young people, all of whom are extremely vulnerable,' she said Wednesday. 'Supervised consumption sites save lives and prevent mischief. Experts in health and safety have agreed on this. We already saved several lives.' Désilets said she does not believe moving a block away will increase the social acceptability of the safe consumption site or solve cohabitation issues, but she is willing to work with officials. However, that takes time and resources. Désilets said she's been visiting potential sites and talking with local entrepreneurs, but acquiring a new space would cost about $3.5 million – which Maison Benoît Labre doesn't have. A move like this can't be done in four years, she added. It took the non-profit seven years to move into its current four-storey building near Atwater market, according to Désilets. The Maison Benoît Labre is asking the government to accompany organizations that will have to relocate and provide the necessary financial support to maintain services during the process. 'I believe this law will pass, so from there how do we make sure we're working together and make sure community organizations don't shoulder all the responsibility?' Désilets told journalists at a news scrum after the consultation. Break in services would be 'catastrophic' Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant's department would have new powers to approve or refuse new supervised drug consumption sites under the proposed law. Carmant said everything will taken under Santé Quebec's charge and the province will have to contribute financially if issues arise. However, centres like the Maison Benoît Labre may not get the full amount they're asking for. He added that Quebec is in favour of sites offering evidence-based harm reduction services, saying the government has a duty to provide safe spaces for everyone who uses the sites as well as those who live nearby. Québec Solidaire's Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, the MNA for the area, said he was willing to commit to accompanying the Maison Benoît Labre and urged Carmant to do the same. 'Two people die of an overdose every day in Quebec … A break in services would be catastrophic,' he said. In the meantime, Désilets said more is needed to sensitize the public to issues related to homelessness and the opioid crisis to promote cohabitation. 'People are scared of what they don't understand,' she said. The Mouvement pour mettre fin à l'itinérance à Montréal also took part in Wednesday's consultation and criticized the bill's lack of homelessness prevention measures. They accused the government of overly politicizing the issue, saying there are already effective frameworks in place and that the bill is a 'band-aid' measure. 'There are success stories of social cohabitation but they are not shared with the public,' said director Michele Chappaz.
CBC
3 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Montreal supervised drug site says forced move under proposed Quebec law could cost $6.6M
A supervised drug consumption site in Montreal's Sud-Ouest borough that could be forced to move if a proposed Quebec law is adopted said the change of location could cost an estimated $6.6 million. Under Bill 103, supervised drug consumption sites can't be located within 150 metres of a school or daycare. Maison Benoît-Labre, which houses a homeless shelter and supervised site, would have to move given its proximity to Victor-Rousselot elementary school. "We're at 143 metres at this point, door to door," said Andréane Désilets, Maison Benoît-Labre's executive director, stressing that if the centre was seven metres further away it would be compliant. Désilets made the comments in Quebec City, during consultations into Bill 103, tabled by Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant. The bill comes in response to concerns over supervised drug consumption sites, including the Maison Benoît-Labre. Parents and nearby residents flagged concerns about the area, including many saying they've witnessed open drug use, aggressive behaviour and sexual conduct from frequenters of the day centre, including when children are around. The back door of the centre borders a park used by students of Victor-Rousselot elementary school. Désilet admitted cohabitation has been an issue, especially when the supervised site opened just over a year ago. "We did work very hard with the community," she said, reiterating how a change of location isn't the way to improve things. "Everyone sat down and thought of a better plan and now there is a big [improvement] at this point." WATCH | Quebec moves to ban safe consumption sites near schools, daycares: Quebec moves to ban safe consumption sites near schools, daycares 29 days ago Duration 2:13 Bill 103 would bar supervised drug use sites from operating within 150 metres of a school or daycare. If passed, the bill will require two of these sites to move, including the Maison Benoît-Labre in Montreal. Nonetheless, Désilet said the group will comply with the law, but added there needs to be more government support. Carmant said the bill clearly states that everything will be taken charge of by Santé Québec, the Health Ministry's new operational arm. "If there are financial issues, the government will have to contribute obviously," he told reporters. "We've always been supporting these centres. We're the ones financing them." He specified, however, that the government would provide it's own budget regarding any costs associated to a change of location. "We have to confirm that the numbers that they are providing are correct and this will be done through Santé Québec," Carmant said. Désilet said a move is a complicated process and fears its impacts are being underestimated. "It's hard. It's hard on the staff. It's hard on everyone," she said, "It's very complicated to also maintain the services, make sure that there's no overdoses at the same time — at the new location at the old location." As it stands, supervised drug consumption sites located near schools would have four years to move. Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, Québec Solidaire's social services critic, said the minister needs to make amendments to improve the legislation. He was critical of the bill saying the responsibility for cohabitation rests on the shoulders of the community groups who run the sites, but they don't have the means or funds to do that. "Quebec needs to be a partner with those [organizations]," he said.
