“By March 31, 2025, all nine approved drug injection sites will become help hubs,” the province of Ontario said in a press release.
This change comes after the passage of the Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act and the Community Care and Recovery Act in the fall, which aim to profoundly transform health centers supervised injections located within 200 meters of schools and daycares.
These centers, funded by the province and which it calls drug injection sites
will evolve into crossroads for helping the homeless and fighting against addictions
. They will not offer safer supplies for supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs, the province says.
More funding, promises the province
These hubs will be eligible to receive, on average, up to four times more funding to support treatment and recovery
promises the government.
Families across Ontario told us loud and clear that drug injection sites located near schools and childcare centers are making our communities less safe
argues Minister of Health Sylvia Jones in the press release.
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Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones highlights families’ concerns to justify the province’s decision on injection centers. (Archive photo)
Photo: The Canadian Press / Tijana Martin
Challenge of oppositions and professionals in the sector
The death of a mother, killed by a stray bullet near one of the centers in east Toronto in July 2023, has reignited the debate on safety near consumption centers.
This project is contested by several social workers, experts, religious leaders and certain opposition parties, the Green Party and the official opposition, the NPD.
They believe that the closure of these centers will only shift consumption to the streets and in a less safe manner, potentially leading to an increase in overdoses as suggested by a recent study.
An appeal before the courts was also initiated in December.
The province supports its press release with quotes from the mayors of Guelph, Hamilton, Ottawa, Kitchener, Thunder Bay and the president of the Waterloo region, who support this project. Four of the nine sites targeted are located in Toronto.
Requests from the 10 other centers designated by law are under review and will be announced in the coming weeks
concludes the press release.
