1) (Updated) Nine Ontario supervised consumption sites set to close will become treatment hubs

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Canadian Press Staff, January 2, 2025

Nine of the 10 Ontario supervised consumption sites forced to shut down through recent provincial legislation will be converted into treatment hubs over the next several months, the province said Thursday.

Each of the provincially funded sites was allowed to apply to turn into what it calls “homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs,” the Ministry of Health said.

The nine sites in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, Guelph and Thunder Bay were all approved and will make the transition by March 31, the date by which they were slated to close, the ministry said.

“These hubs will be eligible, on average, to receive up to four times more funding to support treatment and recovery under the model than they receive from the province as a consumption site,” the ministry said in a release, adding the transitioning sites will also get one-time funding to help cover startup costs. 

The Progressive Conservative government recently fast-tracked legislation banning supervised consumption sites from operating within 200 metres of a school or daycare.

The law, which passed last month, also requires municipalities to get the health minister’s approval before seeking a federal exemption to launch new supervised consumption sites, something Health Minister Sylvia Jones has said she would not approve.

Advocates for supervised consumption sites have condemned the move to shutter them, saying the decision will put the lives of many substance users at risk.

But Premier Doug Ford has argued critics should be grateful his government is investing in treatment services while shifting away from the supervised consumption model.

The government’s plan includes a total of 19 homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs, as well as 375 highly supportive housing units, at a cost of $378 million.

Applications for the remaining 10 hubs are under review and will be announced in the coming weeks, the province said, adding the goal is to have the facilities up and running by April 1.

The County of Simcoe submitted an application to the province in the fall for one of these hubs, a move endorsed by Barrie City Council.

The government announced this summer that it would spend $378 million to establish these centres across Ontario, shifting away from drug consumption sites and needle exchange programs to focus on treatment.

Last month, the community organization that runs the 10th supervised consumption site set to close down — a privately funded operation in Toronto’s Kensington Market neighbourhood — filed a legal challenge alleging the provincial legislation violates both the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Constitution.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 2, 2025. With files from Barrie 360

2) New Year’s resolution to exercise more? City of Barrie can help with that

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Release

Barrie residents (ages 18 and over) are invited to start the new year by checking out the city’s fitness centres at the three recreation centres during the evenings from January 6 to 8. Visitors can try a fitness class, meet fitness staff, tour the fitness centres, and try fitness equipment at the following times and locations:

• Monday, January 6, 4:30 to 8:30 p.m.: Peggy Hill Team Community Centre, 171 Mapleton Avenue
• Tuesday, January 7, 5 to 8:30 p.m.: Allandale Recreation Centre, 190 Bayview Drive
• Wednesday, January 8, 5 to 9 p.m.: East Bayfield Community Centre, 80 Livingstone Street East

“This is a great opportunity for residents to see what the city has to offer to keep fit, have fun, and be part of our fitness community,” said Kevin Datema, Director, Recreation & Culture Services. “Join us for a free visit and take advantage of the chance to check out our excellent facilities and meet our friendly, helpful staff.”

Refreshments will be available at these sessions. Any new member who purchases a recPASS membership during a free session will receive a City of Barrie gym bag, while supplies last.

For more information about the City’s recreation programs, activities, and services, visit barrie.ca/RecPrograms.