Greater Sudbury looking at two downtown sites for temporary safe injection site
With the search for a permanent site frustrated, city council in Greater Sudbury is considering two downtown locations to set up a temporary site where people battling opioid addiction can shoot up safely.
A staff report headed to council Tuesday outlines plans to set up temporary trailers to create the temporary supervised consumption site. If approved, it would be established either at the Elgin Street parking lot or at the Energy Court near Lorne Street.
Among the many requirements for a supervised consumption site, Public Health Sudbury & Districts said it needs at least 2,500 square feet, accessibility for paramedics, zoned for office use, and support from nearby businesses and neighbours.
Members of the Community Drug Strategy – a group that includes health, political and police officials – told councillors last month they have been unable to find a site. Either locations were not suitable, or the owner of the property didn't want to rent their properties for a consumption site.
Council directed city staff to come up with options on city land downtown, and several properties were reviewed before the final two sites were recommended. It would give the group about three years to find a permanent location.
The temporary site would have three rooms – an intake room, a consumption room and a post-consumption room where health officials can care for users.
The Energy Court site offers about two acres in space, isn't currently in use, and the trailers could be set up on the westerly limit of the land. The Elgin Street parking lot is a more central location, and is close to the Samaritan Centre and other services for the vulnerable population.
But it would reduce the amount of parking available downtown, the city staff report said.
"If this parking lot was considered, it would reduce the parking supply by an estimated 25 spaces," the report said. "This lot is currently used for monthly parking during business hours and is used for events at the Sudbury Arena, Sudbury Theatre Centre and other downtown events. Prior to the pandemic, it was fully subscribed and routinely had a waiting list of motorists willing to purchase monthly passes."
And when The Junction project is built, another 130 parking spaces would be lost downtown. For that reason, the report recommends the Energy Court.
"The Energy Court site would allow for development of an outdoor area with grass, trees or other vegetation designated for passive recreation, without further impacts to existing parking," the report said.
"The estimated cost of installing three trailers on a site, including renovations, site preparation, mechanical, electrical, connection to services such as water, sanitary and hydro and leasing the trailers for a three-year term is approximately $800,000."
The project would be paid for by drawing on funds in the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve, a fund that provides for year-to-year variances in the operating budget. This reserve may also fund one-time expenditures, with the approval of city council.
Councillors will vote on the plan at their June 15 meeting.
Read the full report here.
Correction
This story has been updated to clarify the purpose of the Tax Rate Stabilization Reserve.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Angst and calls for resting places as Surrey, B.C., pet cemetery development continues
A single headstone is all that remains of dozens of markers for long-buried pets in a subdivision in Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood, where a half-acre parcel bears a large sign announcing the proposed construction of new homes.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.