Winnipeg could create supervised consumption site without province: report
A new report suggests the City of Winnipeg could move forward with a supervised drug consumption site without the province, but funding could be a barrier.
The city’s protection committee ordered the study on the feasibility of a supervised consumption site (SCS), also known as a safe injection site.
It concludes the facilities can reduce drug use but says location, sufficient resources, and “alignment” with other services to support health and recovery are critical to a site’s success.
The province is responsible for health services and the current conservative government has expressed opposition to these sites.
The report said the federal government supports the creation of supervised consumption sites and can offer exemptions to communities where the province is not involved. It also suggests there is no provincial law preventing the establishment of a site.
“While the Province of Manitoba has not supported (supervised consumption sites), there is also no specific legislation that would create any greater impediment either,” states the report.
However, the report shows in all other Canadian jurisdictions with these consumption sites, the federal and provincial governments are both involved.
“Support from other levels of government are typically required for a site to operate sustainably,” states the report. “For instance, in a medicalized model of supervised consumption services, provinces would support sites in the form of funding as healthcare is administered at the provincial level.”
The report said some of those services include access to clean drug use equipment, emergency care in case of overdoses, testing for infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C, and drug treatment referrals.
The report identifies federal funding that could be applied for, but says no provincial streams were identified.
It also says agencies in Winnipeg already providing informal harm reduction services would be best suited to operate a safe consumption site with the city supporting them through grants, the use of paramedics, and public education campaigns.
Councillor Sherri Rollins, who chairs the protection committee, said the city needs to continue pushing the province to support the creation of supervised consumption sites in Winnipeg.
“The immediate barrier to saving lives against drug poisoning in our city is the lack of harm reduction focus from this government,” said Rollins.
In the meantime, Rollins says she will be tabling a motion at the committee next week asking the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service to share data with the community agencies on where overdoses are happening.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.