YWCA urges end of freeze on overdose prevention sites

WATERLOO REGION — YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo, backed by YWCA Canada, is urging the Ontario government to reverse its freeze on overdose prevention sites.

The situation is especially pressing for Waterloo Region, which is in the midst of evaluating locations for supervised injection sites.

“We were on the eve of doing something,” said Elizabeth Clarke, chief executive officer of YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo.

Regional council officially put the supervised injection site selection process on hold Thursday night, following a unanimous committee vote last week, until the new Progressive Conservative government decides if it is going to support the services.

A decision is expected in late September.

“We can’t actually open anything without the province’s approval,” said Clarke, who is also a regional councillor.

“We’re hoping this is just going to be a delay.”

Clarke reached out to YWCA Canada knowing the delay was a concern across Ontario. The plan is to talk to MPPs and share when there’s an overdose death to “let them feel the impact of this decision and this delay.”

Last year, there were 85 overdose deaths in the region.

This year, paramedics have responded to 477 overdose-related calls, just over a 10 per cent increase over last year. There have been 26 confirmed deaths.

“Every week’s delay is deaths that we’d like to be able to avoid,” Clarke said.

Clarke said she was disappointed to vote to put the region’s site selection process on hold, but she saw it as prudent while the province undergoes its review.

While the region would be much further ahead in September if the freeze is lifted, the work that needs to be done, including consultations with neighbourhoods surrounding the proposed sites, is causing concern among some residents.

Ultimately, if the province decides to pull the plug on the sites, all the work and worry would have been for nothing.

“It’s not easy work,” Clarke said.

While waiting on a provincial decision, regional staff will continue developing a site model and estimates for capital and operating costs. They’ll also review any other sites suggested.

Currently, there are four locations shortlisted to be considered for supervised consumption sites, two in both Kitchener and Cambridge. The region wants to open two: one in Cambridge and one in Kitchener.

The plan is to provide not just a space for people to use drugs where they are supervised in case of an overdose but also wraparound services including primary care and referrals.

Maya Roy, chief executive officer of YWCA Canada, said in a news release that urgent action must be taken on this public health emergency. “The research evidence is clear — harm reduction interventions such as overdose prevention sites save lives.”