Ottawa Public Health says it’s being forced to close a supervised consumption site in the city’s ByWard Market area because Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones hasn’t given her permission for it to remain open.
The site on Clarence Street has been operating since 2017. Ottawa Public Health says it received more than 3,500 visits last year and staff there responded to 27 overdoses.
Supervised drug consumption sites require an exemption from Health Canada under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The Ottawa site’s exemption expired on Sept. 30.
Ottawa Public Health said in a memo Wednesday that it has been working to get a new exemption.
Under provincial legislation passed last year, the Ontario health ministry must give the public health agency its permission before it can seek an exemption from the federal government.
“As the first public health unit in Ontario to seek permission to the province to apply for an exemption with Health Canada under the new legislation, (Ottawa Public Health) maintained regular communication with the provincial ministry of health throughout the spring and summer for guidance on how to apply for this permission,” said the memo, signed by Dr. Trevor Arnason, Ottawa Public Health’s medical officer of health.
Arnason said the ministry requested a letter from public health on Sept. 15 and public health wrote to Jones on Sept. 17, but permission was not granted before the exemption expired.
The memo said public health is “disappointed and concerned about the impact the closure will have on residents who rely on these important services.”
Arnason was not made available for an interview.
Jones’ office did not respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.
In a media statement, a spokesperson for federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel confirmed it has not received approval from the province to assess the renewal.
“Evidence shows that safe consumption sites help reduce public drug use and stop the spread of infectious diseases,” Emmanuelle Ducharme said in an email.
The Clarence Street supervised consumption site is now closed. Public health said the site will keep offering a number of other services, including naloxone kits, testing and treatment for sexually transmitted and blood-borne diseases, and other referrals and supports.
Ottawa Public Health said it is still operating its mobile harm reduction services and no staff will be laid off as a result of the closure.
