Ottawa's two final supervised drug consumption sites are set to shut down within 90 days after the Ontario government cut their funding on Tuesday, a move that advocates are warning will push drug use out of controlled settings and into the city's streets and parks.
The two Ottawa sites affected are Trailer 2.0, operated by Ottawa Inner City Health at Shepherds of Good Hope, and Sandy Hill Community Health Centre. Both must submit transition plans immediately and wind down operations within 90 days.
What's Being Lost
Trailer 2.0 alone currently handles between 600 and 1,000 client visits every week. For people struggling with addiction, these sites offer a safe, supervised place to use, with staff on hand to respond to overdoses and connect clients with health and social services.
Rob Boyd, CEO of Ottawa Inner City Health, was blunt about the consequences: "This is going to have a really big impact in terms of public drug consumption increases."
Dean Dewar, director at Sandy Hill, echoed those concerns. He expects to see "additional drug use, open drug use in the City of Ottawa" once the sites close.
The Province's Rationale
Premier Doug Ford has long opposed supervised consumption sites, stating: "I don't believe in sticking these injection sites in the middle of the community." The province is redirecting more than $550 million toward 28 new HART (Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment) hubs, which take an abstinence-based approach to addiction treatment.
Ottawa Councillor Stéphanie Plante acknowledged that the consumption sites save lives, but noted that some community members have raised concerns about public disorder in the areas around them.
What Happens Next
The $2.9 million funding cut makes it very unlikely either Ottawa site will find alternative financing to stay open, according to Boyd. That means hundreds of vulnerable clients will need to find other support, and many, advocates fear, will simply go without.
For anyone seeking addiction support in Ottawa, the Ottawa Public Health drug harm reduction line is available at 613-580-6744.
Source: CBC Ottawa
