January 27, 2025

Ontario Tables Safe Consumption Site Ban

What this means for our Ottawa Community

By Alivia Vanin

In late August of 2024, the Ontario government announced a plan as a part of their Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act that includes Ontario Safe consumption sites. The bill requires that all safe consumption sites located within 200 metres of either a school or childcare facility be forced to cease their operations by March 31, 2025. Nine government funded facilities and one privately funded facility across Ontario will be closing. One of these locations is Ottawa’s very own Somerset West Community Health Centre (SWCHC) at their Eccles branch.

Alongside the August announcement, the Ontario government declared that it will be investing over $300 million into the creation of nineteen Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs. Each safe consumption site that is being forced to close their doors is receiving the opportunity to apply to become one of these HART Hubs. Other community facilities will have the option to submit HART Hub applications as well, but existing safe consumption sites will be prioritized in the approval process. However, any application must be approved in order to receive funding. Getting approved requires a detailed proposal of how the facility would meet the needs of different members of the community.

“There will be no further safe injection sites in the province of Ontario under our government.”

On November 12, 2024, both the SWCHC and The Pinecrest Queensway Community Health Centre announced that they had submitted applications to become HART Hubs. As of January 2, 2025, the SWCHC has been approved for government funding to transition into a HART Hub.

According to the Ontario Government these “HART Hubs will not offer ‘safer’ supply, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs,” and therefore will not be an adequate replacement for the programs being lost. This shift raises the concern that these Hubs will only encourage drug usage within neighbourhoods close to schools and childcare facilities. This outcome will only make these areas less safe. The closing of Ottawa’s safe consumption sites located near schools means drug use will still occur but in public and around children, rather than in designated spaces—the very thing that residents fear.

“Eliminating these sites could lead to an increase in public drug use and improperly discarded needles”

According to the Ontario Ministry of Health, safe consumption sites lead to a rise in crime in the areas surrounding the facilities. However, the SWCHC site states that “studies show that supervised consumption sites do not increase crime,” and they “have offered these services without any increase in neighbourhood crime or complaints of people finding needles.” On the other hand, Sylvia Jones, the deputy premier of Ontario and the Ontario minister of health, stated that there is a serious safety concern caused by safe consumption sites. Ottawa citizens are instead arguing that the safety concern is being created by taking the safe out of the consumption.

Kayla Hagerty of the Ottawa chapter of Solidarity Alliance of People Who Use Drugs, a grassroots group of drug users who offer community support and mutual aid, spoke to The Leveller. Hagerty said that “eliminating these sites could lead to an increase in public drug use and improperly discarded needles, posing health risks to the broader community.” Furthermore, she explains that “supervised consumption sites provide more than just harm reduction—they offer a critical sense of safety and belonging for people who are often marginalized and excluded from society. These spaces create a judgment-free environment where individuals can use substances without fear of stigma, discrimination, or legal repercussions, fostering trust and community.”

Mixed media from the Save Our Sites zine by Maddie Bolland and Rachelle Hawthorn.

At the end of the day, eliminating the distribution of safe narcotics does not stop drug use. This will only end safe drug use which will hurt our community further. If the Ontario Government is looking for a solution to our drug epidemic, this is certainly not a proactive measure to achieve its goals for a safer province.

So how is this relevant now?

It appears that after months of fighting against this bill, Ford’s government has finally listened. The Ontario Government announced in mid-November that it will be tabling their Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act which will result in postponing their initial calls for closures.

This does not mean that the bill will not pass, only that a pin has been put in their plans for the time being. The bill’s delay is as troubling as its potential passing. Sylvia Jones stated that “there will be no further safe injection sites in the province of Ontario under our government.”

Mixed media from the Save Our Sites zine by Maddie Bolland and Rachelle Hawthorn.

As citizens of Ottawa it is up to us to do what we can to try and prevent this change before the bill is officially passed. There is a petition organized by local safe consumption site supporters that is looking for signatures. Show the Ontario Government that its residents are standing up against the ban. Be the positive change this city needs. Help those in peril and look out for those being pushed onto the streets. See that this closure will only make life less safe for those struggling with addiction and will not eliminate drug use from occurring in these communities.

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