Construction of the temporary supervised consumption and treatment services site is complete and steps are now being taken to gain provincial and federal approval, said the City of Greater sudbury.
The supervised consumption site will be housed in trailers off Energy Court.
“I am pleased with how quickly council was able to move this project forward,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger. “In a matter of months, we selected a location, and staff worked with community partners to help ensure the site is safe and secure for clients, residents and surrounding businesses.
In May 2021, city council voted unanimously in favour of a motion directing staff to exhaust all avenues in order to find a site for these services.
In June 2021, city council selected the property off Energy Court to be the designated location for a temporary supervised consumption site. Additionally, city council unanimously approved funding for the site.
“We are grateful for our partnership with the City of Greater Sudbury. Their collaboration has been key to ensuring the success of this life saving priority,” said Dr. Penny Sutcliffe, Medical Officer of Health and CEO, Public Health Sudbury & Districts. “The evidence is clear; these services reduce the spread of infectious diseases and incidence of fatal overdoses. Perhaps most importantly, they ensure a humane and compassionate approach to assist those who use substances, connecting people with health and social services. With the construction of 24 Energy Court complete, we can now proceed with the final steps towards federal approval.”
In the fall, the city held an engagement session with surrounding businesses to provide their input on the site plan. The city then worked to prepare the site, lay the foundation and install trailers.
With that work complete, Public Health Sudbury & Districts and Réseau ACCESS Network are now able to access the trailers and prepare the space to serve community members, following formal approval by the provincial and federal governments. Health Canada is responsible for granting exemptions to Section 56.1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA) to operate supervised consumption and treatment services.
“From the initial needs assessment and feasibility study, the group and individual surveys and focus groups, this has been a long road and we have lost many along the way who have succumbed to the poisoned drug supply and lack of supports,” said Heidi Eisenhauer, executive director, Réseau ACCESS Network. “We thank those who use substances and those with lived/living experience who have shared so willingly of their expertise, of their trauma, of the best approaches to making a difference. These suggestions will certainly be included as part of best practice as we start this new journey, together.”
For more information on the work of the Community Drug strategy, and for details on supervised consumption and treatment services, click here.
