Two years after a fire, the CIPTO could rise from its ashes by 2026

Since the fire that ravaged the premises of the Outaouais Drug Intervention and Prevention Center (CIPTO) on Saint-Jacques Street in Gatineau two years ago, the organization has not been idle. On the contrary, it has even improved its service offering.

So a larger building will be necessary. The organization plans to demolish 92, rue Saint-Jacques, which was declared a total loss after the fire.

The center hopes to rebuild larger, to make room for a growing team, and plans to open these new premises in 2026.

The organization had to move into temporary premises three blocks from the original building. We found alternativessays general manager Yves Séguin, but it’s a challenge in our small premises.

It’s definitely not the same as the house we had here.

Our team has continued to grow since 2022he emphasizes.

Triple the number of street workers

Even if the current offices of the CIPTO are far from perfect, Mr. Séguin believes that his organization has become closer to the community.

Because we have been able to deploy a huge number of services sincehe explains.

His team, among other things, tripled the number of street workers and launched a mobile supervised consumption site, to reach people where they are. All this, in addition to establishing a peer helper project and increasing their presence in secondary schools.

But without a reception space, it is more difficult for residents of the neighborhood, people who have benefited from help from CIPTO or even people experiencing homelessness to stop there to ask for advice or to have a coffee with the speakers.

What will be interesting, if we can have a new location, is to have a place large enough to accommodate everyone at the same time.explains Mr. Séguin.

Financial challenges: a call for generosity

The community is unanimous according to Yves Séguin: They want us to stay in Old Hullat 92, rue Saint-Jacques.

The insurers of CIPTO will reimburse the value of the original building, approximately $500,000.

But the general director of CIPTO estimates the cost of rebuilding the building at one million dollars.

It’s certain that it won’t be easy, it won’t happen by snapping your fingers, but for me, an organization like the CIPTOI believe the community will be behind us.

He assures that an appeal for the generosity of the population will be launched in the coming months.

The origin of the fire still unknown

The investigation into the causes of the fire which broke out on the night of August 20 to 21, 2022 is still ongoing, two years later.

We are talking about an event which is still considered a fire of unknown originindicates the public relations officer at the Gatineau Police Department, Patrick Kenney.

He invites people to contact the police if they have information that could help the investigation.