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The doors on Timmins’ first supervised injection have closed for good.
On July 1, the Canadian Cochrane-Timiskaming Mental Health Association (CMHA C-T) took over the operation of the Safe Health Site Timmins from Timmins and District Hospital (TADH). When the company changed ownership, the basic customer processing service was no longer offered.
At the Timmins City Council meeting tonight, the city’s director of community programs, Meagan Baranyk, indicated that the facility is closed.
In his quarterly update on the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, Baranyk showed the SHST figures for the second quarter of 2023 at the same time this year.
In 2023, 160 in-person referrals were provided and 55 off-site referrals were made. This year, 151 in-person referrals and five off-site referrals were provided.
This spring the establishment’s opening hours have been reduced. Instead of being open 12 hours a day, it was reduced to 8 hours.
The reduction in hours, Baranyk said, has impacted on-site availability and reduced referrals.
Being open fewer hours does not promote visitor confidence and as such, he said the status quo is closed.
“Discussions are taking place lately about how multiple agencies can supply more successfully and comprehensively, utilizing or leveraging this space,” he told council.
SHST opened in July 2022 and was funded through the City of Timmins during its first year and a half. When this investment expired, TADH stepped in to fund it.
It was a position where other people could simply consume medicines received in the past in the presence of a trained and serviced medical staff.
Last year, SHST gained approval from Health Canada to create a permanent facility, allowing it to receive investment from the province.
Immediately after receiving the green light from the federal government, Ontario suspended all new intake site investment programs to allow for a facility review after a woman was hit by a stray bullet and killed outside a Toronto site. it has not yet been completed.
Premier Doug Ford said last week in Thunder Bay that it is “not sold” at supervised drug intake sites. He said the neighborhoods where those sites are located have “all the discarded syringes” and are a “haven for drug dealers. ”
The Prime Minister said he would prefer to invest in drug treatment beds and support for individuals.
In 2020, Ontario Health was presented with an investment proposal for a comprehensive care facility, the Timmins Wellness Center. TADH indicates that this proposal was resubmitted in December 2023.
A safer drinking virtual hotline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-888-688-6677. People should never consume naloxone alone and bring naloxone.
– Trillium Con
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