Two northern Ont. safe consumption sites face closure
Demonstrators held a rally outside of the office of Timmins MPP and Ministry of Mines George Pirie in an effort to save Safe Health Site Timmins (SHST) – the group is calling for emergency action by the Ontario Government to keep safe consumption sites in the region open.
Christina Kioke and others concerned citizens participated in a rally outside Timmins MPP George Pirie's office on Thursday to call for funding for safe consumption sites in the region. (Sergio Arangio/CTV News Northern Ontario)
Both SHST and The Spot, Sudbury’s safe consumption site will close this long weekend unless provincial funding is offered or other funding can be secured.
The province has been silent on whether it will resume funding safe consumption sites – it paused support for any such facilities, while it conducts a review, after a shooting near a Toronto site last year.
“It’s ridiculous, right. We’re a few days away from a site closing down from the province not really living up to its responsibility, from a local MPP who’s not talking to his constituents, ignoring the needs,” said Jason Sereda of DIY Community Health Timmins.
“It’s scary to see what might happen to our community if people aren’t able to access this lifesaving service.”
Christina Kioke is a concerned community member would participated in the rally.
“I do have people in my life who do use safe consumption sites and I do see the value that goes into it, and behind the work that I do, as well,” she said.
“It gives people that opportunity to reach out for help and support and have those connections so that they aren’t alone and when they are ready to make that decision to tackle the substance issues that they are dealing with, the people will be there waiting for them. We need to be able to meet people where they’re at.”
Sereda told CTV News that the community is invested in keeping SHST open and that local agencies are discussing how they can continue to pay for its operations, if the province does not step up with permanent funding.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
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.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.