Safe consumption site in Timmins ready to open Monday
With Health Canada's permission, street drugs can now be consumed inside Safe Health Site Timmins.
Beginning Monday, people struggling with addiction can go there to inject their pre-obtained substances under the supervision of trained staff.
“We do hope to see for the community at large that if they know someone who uses substances, there's a safe place for them," said Patrick Nowak, manager of the addictions program at Timmins and District Hospital.
"We also hope to see decreases in 911 calls, we hope to see less discarded needles and things like that in the community."
There are three consumption booths, each equipped with sterile injection supplies.
"We have the mirrors there so nurses at the other end of the nursing station can sort of watch to make sure there's nothing medically wrong," said Nowak.
People can also get information on site about other local health services.
Dr. Louis Marion-Bellemare said opening Safe Health Site Timmins is an important milestone, but more work needs to be done because it's only a temporary site.
“The Timmins Area Drug Strategy and many other community organizations and leaders are still working vigorously on a permanent site," Marion-Bellemare said.
"That site takes quite a bit of time and we have to get special exemptions from the government and we are still actively working on that and we’re getting closer every day to a permanent site.”
Fifteen new jobs have been created at Safe Health Site Timmins, including nurses, nurse practitioners, harm reduction workers and patient engagement and safety staff members.
Retired police chief John Gauthier will be one of them.
“I’m not done yet. I need to keep serving the community in some form and I'm glad to do it this way," said Gauthier.
In the past two years, health officials said Timmins has had alarmingly high death rates due to suspected drug overdoes, ranking second in the province in 2020 and fourth last year.
The City of Timmins provided $1 million to establish the site.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 10,000 Canadians received a medically-assisted death in 2021: report
More Canadians are ending their lives with a medically-assisted death, says the third federal annual report on medical assistance in dying (MAID). Data shows that 10,064 people died in 2021 with medical aid, an increase of 32 per cent over 2020.
Author Salman Rushdie on ventilator after stabbing, may lose an eye
\Salman Rushdie remained hospitalized Saturday after suffering serious injuries in a stabbing attack, which was met with shock and outrage from much of the world, along with tributes and praise for the award-winning author who for more than 30 years has faced death threats for his novel 'The Satanic Verses.'
Anne Heche legally dead, remains on life support for donor evaluation
Anne Heche remains on life support and under evaluation for organ donation after a car crash that led to her brain death, a representative for the actor said Friday.
FBI seized 'top secret' documents from Trump home
The FBI recovered documents that were labelled 'top secret' from former U.S. President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, according to court papers released Friday after a federal judge unsealed the warrant that authorized the unprecedented search this week.
N.W.T. RCMP deploy controversial roadside cannabis screening devices
RCMP in the Northwest Territories have begun using roadside cannabis-screening technology that has faced criticism from defence lawyers elsewhere in Canada.
Passengers tackle Canadian man after he became violent, tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A plane bound for Toronto has been forced to divert to Iceland after a Canadian man allegedly became violent and tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.
Praise, worry in Iran after Rushdie attack; government quiet
Iranians reacted with praise and worry Saturday over the attack on novelist Salman Rushdie, the target of a decades-old fatwa by the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini calling for his death.
Ukrainian minister says Russia blocking access to medicines
Ukraine's health minister has accused Russian authorities of committing a crime against humanity by blocking access to affordable medicines in areas its forces have occupied since invading the country 5 1/2 months ago.
Union representing 33,000 B.C. government workers issues strike notice
A union representing tens of thousands of government workers handed the B.C. government 72 hours' strike notice Friday afternoon.
Barrie
-
Early morning collision kills wrong-way driver on Highway 400
OPP in Tay Township are investigating an early morning fatal collision on Highway 400.
-
Family pleads for the return of belongings taken from young daughter's grave
A family is sharing their heartache in the hope of finding lost items taken from the gravesite of their young daughter.
-
Residents at Angus seniors complex wonder why elevator took 2 months to fix
A broken elevator at an Angus seniors complex is finally back up and running, but residents are asking why it took so long to fix.
Toronto
-
Peel police arrest 24 people, dismantle crime group connected to ‘violent criminal acts’ in GTA
Twenty-four people have been arrested in connection with a crime group allegedly responsible for tractor-trailer cargo thefts and other violent criminal acts throughout the Greater Toronto Area, Peel Regional Police say.
-
Slow progress in Ontario autism program rollout; officials insist they’re on target
Ontario has enrolled 888 children with autism in core therapies -- adding just 30 to the government's revamped program since April -- but insists it will meet its goal of enrolling 8,000 kids by the end of the fall.
-
Passengers tackle Canadian man after he became violent, tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A plane bound for Toronto has been forced to divert to Iceland after a Canadian man allegedly became violent and tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.
Ottawa
-
Ottawa baby makes his grand appearance in Queensway Carleton Hospital hallway
An Ottawa family has a story for a lifetime after delivering their newborn in the hallway of the Queensway Carleton Hospital.
-
Ottawa police officers replace bike stolen from 8-year-old boy
A young Ottawa boy has a brand new bicycle, thanks to some Ottawa police officers in his neighbourhood.
-
Two novice drivers among 4 charged with stunt driving Friday
Ottawa police say two G2 drivers are among four people charged with stunt driving on Friday night, as the police service’s summer speeding blitz continues.
Kitchener
-
-
Kitchener man watches as car slams into his house
When Carmelo Mazza went to get his mail on Friday morning, he never imagined on his walk home he would witness a car crash into his home at the exact spot he typically sits.
-
Waterloo region candidates list sparse with registration deadline looming
The deadline for candidate registration is one week away, and still, several ridings in Waterloo region have wards with no candidates named.
London
-
Missing boater found deceased late Friday
Missing boater, Jack Glaves of Tilsonburg, Ont., has been located deceased in Lake Erie.
-
Police release identity of cyclist killed on Highway 401, alleged driver facing charges
Police in London, Ont., are releasing the identity of a cyclist who was killed on Highway 401 after they struck by a vehicle. Meanwhile, the alleged driver is now facing charges.
-
Driver facing charges in crash that killed one, injured three others
A driver is facing multiple charges Saturday for their alleged role in a vehicle collision that claimed the life of one pedestrian and injured three others in Grey Highlands last month.
Windsor
-
Passengers tackle Canadian man after he became violent, tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A plane bound for Toronto has been forced to divert to Iceland after a Canadian man allegedly became violent and tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.
-
Suspect sketch released as police investigate west-end sexual assault
Windsor police have released a composite sketch of a man who allegedly entered a woman’s home and sexually assaulted her before fleeing the scene.
-
Doug Ford swallows bee during live news conference
Doug Ford's live news conference on Friday was unexpectedly interrupted after the premier swallowed and choked on a bee.
Montreal
-
Judge suspends two articles of Quebec's Bill 96 regarding legal translations
A group challenging Quebec's new language law logged a first legal victory against the legislation on Friday, as a judge temporarily suspended a provision requiring English court documents to be translated into French.
-
Cuttlefish ink could reduce environmental cost of electronic conductor construction, Montreal researchers say
Montreal researchers are trying to reduce the environmental cost of electronic components, thanks to cuttlefish ink. The materials from the cuttlefish could be used to print melanin, which is used as an electrical conductor.
-
Laval boxer David Lemieux announces his retirement from the ring
Laval boxer David Lemieux is retiring from competition, Eye of the Tiger Management announced Saturday.
Atlantic
-
Halifax's Meagher Park, used as encampment by homeless, cleared out and fenced off
Halifax police say a city park that has been used as an encampment for homeless people has been cleared out and fenced off.
-
Confirmed case of Monkeypox in New Brunswick
The provincial government’s Department of Health confirmed the case in a news release Friday evening.
-
State of emergency to lift in Newfoundland as forest fire situation improves
Newfoundland and Labrador officials say the state of emergency called last weekend because of raging wildfires in the centre of the province will end on Saturday.
Winnipeg
-
Winnipeg police arrest two women from Ontario in connection to grandparent scam
Winnipeg police have arrested and charged two women from Ontario in connection to grandparent scams in the city.
-
Police, experts sound alarm after another fatal drowning in Manitoba
The number of fatal drownings in Manitoba has police and experts issuing a reminder to Manitobans about how quickly fun in the water can turn tragic.
-
'I hope that we made this day very special': German memorial honours lost war bomber crew
Families of the crew of a Second World War bomber shot down over Germany in 1945 are finally getting closure for their long-lost loved ones after a local man with a passion for archeology created a memorial in their honour.
Calgary
-
1 dead following crash in southwest Calgary
Officials say a driver has died after a serious crash early Saturday morning in southwest Calgary.
-
Calgary police, humane society seize 42 animals in northeast Calgary
Police and the Calgary Humane Society have launched a joint investigation after seizing 42 animals from a northeast Calgary property Friday morning.
-
Small wildfire burning near Banff's east gates
A small wildfire was burning Friday night around 8:30 p.m., according to the national park's Twitter feed.
Edmonton
-
'Communications failure': UCP minister tells reporters to stop asking about essay award
A UCP MLA shook her head in frustration and said "wow" while walking away from a microphone Friday, as the fallout continued over an "abhorrent" essay that her government awarded.
-
Local charities helping families get school supplies seeing 'unprecedented' demand
With the start of a new school year now weeks away, local charities say more people are turning to them to help provide school supplies than ever before.
-
Allegiances shift to Danielle Smith as deadline to register for UCP leadership vote looms
Seven candidates scrambled Friday to sign up last-minute memberships in Alberta's United Conservative Party leadership race while political observers say that without hard data on which contender has a leg up, follow the feet.
Vancouver
-
Hundreds of animals in SPCA's care as adoptions slow down for 1st time since pandemic began
With pet adoptions slowing down for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the B.C. SPCA says it has hundreds of animals in its care.
-
'A dream come true': B.C. team to represent Canada at Little League World Series
A team from British Columbia will be representing Canada at the Little League World Series this year.
-
Excitement in B.C. Indigenous communities as salmon get past Fraser River slide zone
Thousands of migrating sockeye and chinook salmon appear to be making it through a massive slide area on the Fraser River on their way to spawn in central British Columbia.