Kitchener, Guelph drug consumption sites to close due to Ontario ban
CTV
As part of the new rules, any supervised drug consumption site within 200 metres of schools and daycare centres will be banned from operating.
The drug consumption sites in Guelph and Kitchener are set to close after the Ontario government announced a ban on these types of facilities, citing concerns over community safety.
As part of the new rules, any supervised drug consumption site within 200 metres of schools and daycare centres will be banned from operating.
The decision, effective by March 31, 2025, will lead to the closure of ten sites across Ottawa, Guelph, Hamilton, Thunder Bay, Kitchener, and Toronto.
Included are the sites at the Guelph Community Health Centre, located at 175 Wyndham St. N. in Guelph and the site at the Region of Waterloo Public Health and Emergency Services, located at 150 Duke St. W. in Kitchener. Once these sites close, the closest drug consumption site outside of the region will be in London.
The move is part of a broader strategy to address the rising crime rates near these sites, which the province claims have seen significantly higher incidents of violence and drug trafficking.
“Communities, parents and families across Ontario have made it clear that the presence of consumption sites near schools and daycares is leading to serious safety problems,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health in a media release Tuesday.
“We need to do more to protect public safety, especially for young school children, while helping people get the treatment they need, which is why we’re taking the next step to expand access to a broad range of treatment and recovery services, while keeping kids and communities safe,” Jones added.
