Funding for Safepoint needed now, MPP says
Gretzky urges province to move faster as local drug crisis worsens
Arguing it's taking too long and lacking transparency, local MPP Lisa Gretzky (NDP — Windsor West) is calling on the province to speed up its review of Ontario's supervised consumption and treatment sites.
“I find it sad, disheartening, and infuriating and frustrating,” Gretzky told The Windsor Star.
“While this is going on, people are dying and people are losing loved ones. And municipalities are left trying to figure out how to pick up the pieces.”
Gretzky's call for the province to move quicker came as the local health unit issued its latest public alert early last week following a spike in opioid overdoses and emergency calls over a seven-day period.
The Ford government launched a “critical incident review” last August following the fatal shooting of a woman outside a Toronto CTS location.
In October, the government announced a “pause” in funding approvals for new sites, which included the already-opened Safepoint in downtown Windsor.
During a local visit to the area on March 11 to announce new road transportation work, Premier Doug Ford told reporters that the review was nearing its conclusion.
“In total, we said there'd be 21 (CTS) sites. We're at 17. There's four more to go,” said Ford. “They're going to complete the review and then we'll be able to get moving on that.
“It's important for the community, and if it's important for the community, then we'll get it done, but it shouldn't be too much longer.”
But Gretzky said she's also been pressing the Ontario government for more transparency, claiming there's been a lack of communication from the province's leadership since the review was launched.
“There's no transparency there at all. To not be afforded the courtesy from the government to have that conversation and say what's involved in the review and what they'll be looking at.
“They're not actively asking for information or data from these places, they're not talking to the communities.
“They're not open about the timeline of what that process is going to include and when municipalities will know whether or not there will be funding,” Gretzky said. “I think that it's not only unfair and unjust to the service providers, but to the people in the communities.”
Safepoint was opened last April 26, with the Windsor-essex County Health Unit shouldering the initial costs but anticipating provincial funding by the summer to cover annual operational expenses estimated at $700,000. Without funding from the province, however, the health unit could no longer sustain Safepoint's operations and it closed its doors on Jan. 1.
“The government is robbing people of opportunity,” Gretzky said.
She said she has only received “generic” answers to persistent requests for updates from Michael Tibollo, the associate minister of mental health and addictions, during question period at Queen's Park. Gretzky said she's even crossed the floor at the legislature to directly address the associate minister, and has penned letters advocating for clarification.
Echoing what the premier said last week, MPP Andrew Dowie (PC — Windsor-tecumseh) told the Star that the government's review was “closer to the conclusion than the start.”
The Windsor CTS Advocacy Coalition staged a protest at Dowie's office on March 8 over the uncertain future of Safepoint, calling it an “emergency situation.”
As roughly 50 supporters rallied outside, three organizers met inside with Dowie. The organizers requested interim funding from the government to resume Safepoint's services until the review concludes. In addition to providing a space for individuals to safely consume drugs, Safepoint also offers wraparound social welfare and mental health supports.
On Monday, the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, citing 500 Ontario drug poisoning deaths so far this year and the “impending closures” of CTS sites in Sudbury and Timmins, called on the provincial government to immediately fund such facilities.
“I am horrified. This is a lifeand-death emergency, and we are being ignored,” Rev. George Bozanich of the Windsor CTS Advocacy Coalition said in a coalition news release. “Without these services, Ontarians die,” he said.
Gretzky said she feels “politics is getting in the way” and has not witnessed Dowie “ask for answers from the government he represents.”
“He makes excuses for what is happening, or not happening, with the government,” she said. “If he believes in the benefits of Safepoint, and if he has talked to the experts and has talked to people who have struggled with addiction, or to people who have lost a loved one to addiction, I think he would see the value of being a very loud advocate and pushing his government to have that site reopened.”
Dowie told the Star he has publicly advocated for Safepoint on multiple occasions, and continues to engage with Tibollo on the review.
“At the end of the day, I've been very public and made a number of radio interviews, far more than I think (Gretzky) has speaking to this issue, because it is a matter of public interest,” said Dowie. “To be quite honest with you, I've had independent and individual discussions with the minister on a much higher frequency than she has.
“In fact, I'm not aware of a conversation she's had with minister Tibollo outside of question period.”
According to Gretzky, the Windsor-essex County Health Unit and Hôtel-dieu Grace Healthcare — the joint operators of Windsor's sole CTS site — had yet to become involved in the review process.
Eric Nadalin, director of mental health promotion for the Windsor-essex County Health Unit (WECHU), told the Star he has not received any communication from the Ontario Ministry of Health regarding the review.
“The WECHU communicates consistently with the Ministry of Health regarding health unit operations,” the health unit said in an emailed statement to the Star on March 7. “However there have not been any recent direct inquiries into Safepoint operations as a federally exempt Urgent Public Health Needs site.”
Despite the Star's repeated attempts to get comment or updates from the Ministry of Health, no new information has been shared.