Two years after the doors to Timmins' first supervised consumption site (SCS) opened, the core service of the facility is ending.
On July 1, when the Canadian Mental Health Association Cochrane-Timiskaming (CMHA C-T) takes over the operation of Safe Health Site Timmins, the consumption treatment services will no longer be offered. The announcement was made late on Wednesday.
On-site counselling, referrals to health services, treatment, harm reduction, education and other supports will continue to be offered.
Safe Health Site Timmins (SHST) opened in July 2022 and was funded by the City of Timmins for its first year-and-a-half. When that funding expired, Timmins and District Hospital stepped up to fund it.
When CMHA takes over on Monday, the hours will remain the same at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week.
"The SHST has consistently demonstrated its effectiveness as an evidence-based solution to connect individuals with treatment and safeguard emergency and health service capacity," reads the CMHA news release.
The CMHA says that people using the SHST should use the National Overdose Response Service (NORS) Hotline at 1-888-688- 6677. They also advise people no to use alone and always carry Naloxone.
"CMHA-CT will remain in close partnership with TADH regardless of this transition of operational responsibility. Supervised consumption services are just one, vital, part of a larger community drug strategy that includes treatment, education, prevention and enforcement. Alone, this service will not solve the opioid crisis our community faces," reads the news release.
"Together, alongside many partner agencies, we continue to advocate, operationalize and provide programs and services that aim to create a safer, well community for all. We remain optimistic that the province will move quickly to approve this evidence-based, life-saving service."
SHST is a place for people to use previously obtained drugs in the presence of trained medical staff and connect to services.
Last year, SHST received approval for a permanent facility from Health Canada, which allowed it to apply to the province for funding.
Right after receiving the federal nod, Ontario paused all new funding applications for safe consumption sites to allow for a review of the facilities after a woman was hit by a stray bullet and killed outside of a Toronto site. That review has not been completed yet.
In 2020, a funding proposal for a comprehensive treatment centre — Timmins Wellness Centre — was submitted to Ontario Health. TADH says that proposal was resubmitted in December 2023.
In Barrie, health officials pursuing an SCS at a location on Innisfil Street announced this week that they are rescinding their application due to approval delays from the province. Local officials said they could not continue to pay rent on the facility while they awaited a decision from Queen's Park.
Applications for what the province refers to as a Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) facility were submitted to Health Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health on Oct. 7, 2021.
However, the Ford government launched a broad SCS review following a shooting outside of a site in Toronto's Leslieville neighbourhood last summer, with Michael Tibollo, the associate minister of mental health and addictions, saying in the fall that this would include the development of new safety protocols.
Barrie health officials say they will continue to push for a facility.
