The province is sharing details of its new sobering centre, which can hold up to 20 people under the influence of methamphetamine, alcohol and other substances.
The facility at 190 Disraeli Fwy. has 20 rooms, each of which will be equipped with a mattress, toilet, video surveillance, and a call system for patients to reach staff 24 hours a day, which include paramedics, physicians, and psychiatrists.
“Every single patient that comes in is going to have a thorough medical assessment by paramedics that are trained in this work and have been doing the work for a number of years,” Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Medical Director Dr. Rob Grierson told media Monday, “and then when they’re placed into one of the protective care cells, they will be evaluated on an ongoing basis.”
Legislation passed Nov. 5 allows people under the influence of methamphetamine and other drugs to be detained for up to 72 hours, up from 24. Grierson says he expects most stays at the centre to be shorter.
“Even though the legislation says that people can stay for 72 hours, realistically I don’t think people are going to be staying for 72 hours,” he said.
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Sixteen beds will be for patients under the influence of alcohol, much like Main Street Project’s protective care facility on Martha Street. The remaining four beds will be for people under the influence of methamphetamine or other drugs.
“We’re going to learn a lot from this model and then we’ll expand the model where it’s appropriate,” Grierson said.
Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith said construction began on the facility about a month ago.
“This is a new hope, a new space, and a new place for people,” she said.
Smith says the goal is to connect patients with supports like housing and addictions treatment.
“We’re building in pathways for folks to get into treatment, to get in to detox,” she said.
Progressive Conservative critic for Housing, Addictions and Homelessness, Jeff Bereza, says the sobering centre is “extremely rushed.”
“If they’re just trying to get people off the streets for 72 hours, but again, what’s it accomplishing other than taking them off the street for 72 hours?” he said.
He also said there is not enough supports for people in rural Manitoba.
“I think there’s way too many questions that are unanswered here and again that’s our concern with this.”
190 Disraeli Fwy. was previously proposed as a location for the province’s first supervised consumption site, but was passed over after area residents voiced their opposition.
The province says they are looking to open 20 more beds in early 2026, and are looking at looking at additional locations in Thompson and Brandon.
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