P.E.I. Greens want to know when province will open overdose prevention site
CBC
The P.E.I. Green Party is pressing government for answers about when it will open an overdose prevention site, with one MLA saying she's disappointed overdose prevention wasn't a bigger priority in the province's budget.
Karla Bernard raised the issue in the P.E.I. Legislature Friday.
She said the number of accidental opioid overdoses and overdose deaths are on the rise. According to provincial data, the number of accidental opioid-related overdoses jumped from five in 2019, to 36 in 2022.
The number of opioid-related deaths has increased each year as well, but final numbers for 2022 have not yet been made available.
"These are not data points, these are friends and loved ones who are falling through the cracks due to a lack of health care. The provincial budget tabled yesterday makes no mention of new or expanded addiction services in P.E.I." Bernard said.
The budget also fails to mention anything about the opening of an overdose prevention site, she said.
"The government won't tell us the location of the overdose prevention site. It wouldn't even mention it in its budget address, which is a list of this government's priorities for the fiscal year," said Bernard.
"Why should anyone believe an overdose prevention site is a priority for this government?"
The province had plans in place to set up and open an overdose prevention site at 33 Belmont St. in Charlottetown by this spring. It would be a place where people 18 and older can use drugs in a safe, supervised environment and have the ability to test their drugs for substances like fentanyl.
PEERS Alliance has been contracted to operate the site.
But after a number of public meetings with neighbours in the area, the government decided against that plan. During the spring election campaign, Premier Dennis King said he agreed with neighbours of 33 Belmont St. that it was "not the right place" for the supervised injection site.
Responding to questions in the legislature, Health Minister Mark McLane said he agrees with Bernard that this is an important issue that needs to be addressed quickly.
"It actually very much is a top priority for our department, we know the importance of it. It reduces public substance use, discarded needles. It's been proven to protect people from harm," he said.
McLane said the province does have some phone-based support options like the National Overdose Response Unit phone line and Brave App. He said there are also needle exchange programs where people can pick up fentanyl testing strips to test their drugs.
A New Brunswick tenant says he’s being pushed out of his rented bungalow as retribution for complaining about his landlord, but his landlord says she’s the victim of an unfair tenancy tribunal ruling that is preventing her from using the unit to house family.
Snow and freezing rain could affect morning commutes on Tuesday, according to a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.
Daniel Jolivet, 68, had his first taste of freedom this weekend after spending the last 33 years behind bars.
Peguis First Nation is suing former chief Glenn Hudson over allegations he failed to act in the best interest of the band and financially benefitted from breaches of duty — including claims that he enriched himself, his family and supporters.
The Saskatchewan NDP's pace in 2025 has been frenetic.
If you’re ever walking down this east Hamilton neighbourhood during the holiday season, there’s a festive house that just might grab your attention.
It was just a few months ago that U.S. President Donald Trump told the world he doesn’t want Canadian cars.
Flu cases across Canada are on the rise and may push hospitals to their limits over the holidays and into the new year, leading health officials in regions across the country to warn people not to visit emergency rooms unless it's absolutely necessary.
More than 30 years after Canada's military allowed women to serve in combat roles, it's now specifically designing uniforms and body armour to fit their bodies.
The holiday season has arrived in Thunder Bay, and that means reduced hours, or closures, for businesses, city offices, and other amenities.
As Toronto’s food scene continues to grow, some in the industry say the pool of professional chefs hasn’t kept up with demand.
Police have charged a truck driver from the Hamilton area in a hit-and-run crash that killed a tow truck operator who had been stopped while helping a driver on the side of Highway 401 outside Woodstock, Ont.
Power has been restored to most of Haines Junction after a problem earlier on Monday at the local generating station.