Another harm-reduction program ends in Sudbury
A number of harm-reduction services and programs have, for one reason or another, closed in Sudbury recently.
The Sudbury Action Centre for Youth declared insolvency. At the end of March, the supervised consumption site closed. And now, a peer-run harm-reduction program run by the Reseau Access Network ended when funding ran out.
Four peer engagement workers at Reseau Access hung up their backpacks at the end of March when federal funding for Reseau’s wellness navigation program ended.
“Working in harm reduction, having that lived and living experience, is crucial because it allows us to connect with the community in ways that a lot of people say who have never used substances can’t,” said Kaela Pelland, former director of peer engagement at Reseau Access Network.
“All of the staff that were impacted by this loss are people with lived and living experience.”
The program started in 2022.
Kaela Pelland, former director of peer engagement at Reseau Access Network, say the program was making a difference because people could speak with those with similar experiences. (Alana Everson/CTV News)
“People live on the margins and how do you reach them unless you have folks that they can relate to offer their own experiences (and) create that sense of safety?” asked Heidi Eisenhauer, Reseau’s executive director.
Officials said a big part of the program was the distribution of drug testing kits, especially considering the toxic supply.
Free harm-reduction tools and first-aid instruction to help people recognize and respond to overdoses were also part of the program.
“To be able to create a safer place so that folks can share their experiences and that’s how shame is, that’s how we squash shame and that’s how we squash stigma,” said Pelland.
Pelland said the recent loss of three harm reduction and support services in Sudbury for people who use drugs is hitting hard.
o Download our app to get local alerts on your device
o Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“Seeing all these services that were there to support you, like, as a person that uses drugs, and then have them all just be gone within two weeks, that causes like a moral injury for people,” said Pelland.
Pelland said in light of the recent harm-reduction service losses in the city, many people who use drugs feel they have been left to languish on their own.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.