In a letter to Ontario Minister of Health and Long-term Care Christine Elliot sent on Monday, Mayor Jim Watson has asked the ministry to overturn their decision to cut funding to Ottawa Public Health’s safe consumption site at 179 Clarence St.
On Friday, the Ontario government announced that they will be providing funding for 15 safe consumption sites in the province, three of which are located in Ottawa. The issue is that there are four sites in the city and the only one that wasn’t funded was the one that the city’s health organization runs.
“For over 20 years, OPH has served and provided leadership in the community of Ottawa by reducing the risk of infectious diseases and deaths through provision of harm reduction services and coordination across agencies,” wrote Watson in the letter.
According to the letter, the facility offered several ways for users to get help:
- A needle distribution and retrieval program
- A mobile van that travels throughout Ottawa
- Operation of a consumption and treatment site
The facilities that will receive funding in the city are the Somerset West Community Health Centre, the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre and Ottawa Inner City Health (OICH).
The OPH facility is located less than 300 metres from the OICH centre but Mayor Watson says that is due to the proximity to the most vulnerable.
“It is important to consider that the clients of these two services have not been interchangeable,” wrote Watson. “Furthermore both the OPH facility and the OICH site have operated at capacity since they have been in operation.”
Watson also confirmed at city hall on Tuesday that the city will be in contact with the federal government to see if there are any federal programs that will help offset the cost.
For now, Watson says the facility will remain open at least for the next couple of months using OPH funds.
“We will find a way to keep it open,” said Watson.
According to the ministry of health and long-term care this is potentially not the final number as more interested organizations will be considered on an ongoing basis.
“Based on extensive consultation with experts, we are confident the model we have brought forward is the right approach to connect people struggling with addiction with the care they need and deserve,” said Hayley Chazan, spokesperson for the ministry. “The only applications that were not accepted, including the site at Ottawa Public Health, were in locations with proximate and fully accessible approved CTS sites.”
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