SafePoint approval process not expected to be impacted by incidents outside Windsor

The local health unit, and a local MPP, believe incidents outside of Windsor won't have an affect on the provincial approval process for the SafePoint site downtown.

Last week, following the death of a woman struck by a stray bullet near a Toronto site in the city’s east end in July, the Ministry of Health announced they had launched a "critical incident review" of supervised consumption centres in Ontario.

SafePoint opened its doors in April, after receiving federal approval under an exemption to the Controlled Drugs and Substance Act as an Urgent Public Health Needs site model.

In June, Windsor Essex County Health Unit board members said the site's usage numbers were right on track.

The Health Unit is still currently waiting for approval to be called a 'Consumption and Treatment Services site' along with stable funding from the province.

In response to a question from AM800, the WECHU said they are in regular contact with the provincial ministry, and have received no indication that incidents in other municipalities would have an impact on the SafePoint approval process. 

Windsor-Tecumseh MPP Andrew Dowie says SafePoint has been identified as a priority for the community, and he's continued to champion the service in discussions with the ministry.

"And have been doing so for the last number of months to ensure that our community receives the funding that other sites are getting, and I look forward to that day coming shortly," he continued. "I don't have an announcement to make yet, but I can certainly say that my advocacy to secure that funding has been consistent, thorough and repeated."

Dowie says as part of the review the government wants to make sure safety at these sites is paramount, as the events in Toronto were very troubling, but to his knowledge it won't impact approvals considering each application is different and in different locations.

He says the review doesn't negate the need to address addictions in the community.

"So we need access to the provincial dollars to help people with their addictions, that will never change. I am very happy to continue to advocate for the priorities set by the community, and to bring forward their ask for the provincial funding to be delivered for that nature of service that our community wishes to have."

Dowie says the need was great in the community for SafePoint which is why it received the federal exemption to open, but added just because the provincial process is taking time doesn't mean something negative.

"No date had ever been set for a turnaround from the provincial government, and past applications have taken a significant amount of time in order to complete the applications and implement them. So this is nothing out of the ordinary," he said.

Dowie says the local health unit has left no stone unturned in the application, they've provided everything needed, and he looks forward to a day in the future when he can share more information related to approval.

The site, located at 101 Wyandotte Street East, is open seven days a week between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.