A space for providing drug use supplies could be included in the city’s plan for a “pod-style” village of tiny homes within the old Windsor arena.
However, that won’t happen if the province has its way.
“Access to a safer use space for residents” was one of the elements of the project revealed by Mayor Drew Dilkens, along with Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino on Wednesday.
Agostino mentioned that their idea came from a visit they made to Avivo Village in Minneapolis last month.
“There’s a room there that provides people with clean injection materials.. or pipes and/or bands,” Agostino told .
But a representative from Ontario’s Ministry of Health informed CBC in a statement that the Ford government “does not and will never support the distribution of tools to use illegal drugs.”
According to Agostino, drug use will not take place in the “safer use” room, and it won’t be staffed.
Province says it won’t support ‘safer use space’ in Windsor Arena tiny home concept
Ontario’s Ministry of Health states that the Ford government will never back distribution of tools to consume illegal drugs – a stance that might hinder the “safer use space” proposed by City of Windsor for renovations at the former Windsor Arena.
For Lisa Valente, executive director of House of Hope, a grassroots sober-living facility in Windsor, this situation raises concerns. Valente, who pushed for launching Safe Point, which was the region’s first supervised drug consumption site, stressed that having staff present is essential.
“You need to have at least a peer support or a peer advocate, a peer volunteer…somebody needs to oversee that,” said Valente.
reached out to the city for comments but did not receive any response before publication deadline.
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