Sudbury health officials ask city council to help find location for supervised consumption site

The search for a location for a supervised consumption site in Sudbury is at a standstill, but those involved with the effort hope councillors and city staff will find a suitable solution.

Last fall, Sudbury's community drug strategy received several community applications for site locations, but they were all rejected because they did not meet the criteria. A site needs to be secured before proceeding with next steps, and applying for federal and provincial approval.

At a city council meeting Tuesday night, members of the community drug strategy, which is spearheaded by Public Health Sudbury and Districts and the Greater Sudbury Police Services along with other community partners in the northern Ontario city, appealed to councillors for help. 

"We are here sounding an alarm," said Sudbury police Chief Paul Pedersen, adding the team has "hit a brick wall" with its search. 

"We're asking for your support, which we know we have. but we're also asking that that support turns to direction, that commits to looking for what we don't know might exist," said Pederen. "We don't know about city facilities locations, moving of services. We don't know about rezoning that may be possible. We really don't know about future plans." 

A growing crisis 

Opioid-related deaths rose throughout Ontario last year, but the northeast was disproportionately impacted.

In 2020, Sudbury had the highest per capita opioid overdose death rate in the province, with 105 deaths in total reported in Sudbury and districts, up from 56 in 2019. In 2020, all five of the health units with the highest per capita death rates were in northern Ontario — four of them in the northeast. 

"Sounding the alarm I think is putting it mildly," said Coun. René Lapierre, who spoke passionately about the need to address the opioid crisis.

"I think we need every fog horn out there, we need every bell, everything ringing, and loudly. Not just once but non stop until we figure out how to slow down this concern."

Lapierre put forward a motion directing staff to work with the community drug strategy to assess possible properties where a supervised consumption site could be located, including private or municipally owned lands. 

Lapierre's motion passed unanimously. It also asks staff to provide an update to council at its June 15 meeting. 

Unsanctioned site 'saving lives' 

The presentation to council came just days after city bylaw officers issued a trespassing order against volunteers with an unsanctioned, temporary supervised consumption site that has been operating in the city.

The volunteer-run Sudbury Temporary Overdose Prevention Society (STOPS) had been operating in the parking lot of the YMCA downtown.

During Tuesday's council meeting, Coun. Robert Kirwan asked if the city could "turn a blind eye" to unsupervised sites and allow them to continue to operate until a permanent site has been secured and set up.

Medical officer of health Dr. Penny Sutcliffe said it is possible to apply to the federal government for an exemption "based on an urgent public health need." While it would not provide funding, it would allow such a site to operate.  

Kirwan said it would make sense to pursue that option, to allow a group like STOPS to continue to operate while the city searches for a permanent site that fits all of the criteria. 

"I don't think there's any other public health unit that could declare more of than emergency than Sudbury," said Kirwan. 

Richard Rainville, executive director of Réseau Access Network and a member of the Community Drug Strategy, agreed the work of STOPS volunteers continues to be essential. 

"The temporary pop-up sites that are occurring are saving lives."