People at the heart of Kenora's drug crisis call for consumption site to keep loved ones safe

This story is part of a series exploring the drug crisis in Kenora, Ont., speaking with people close to the issue and looking at how some are trying to help.

Ruth Machimity spent seven years living on the streets of Kenora, Ont.

Now, more than three years sober from addiction, she's using her voice to advocate for more mental health and addiction resources.

Conversations about homelessness, addiction and mental health aren't new, but the issue has taken on new urgency in recent months amid spiking cases of HIV/AIDS and increasing violence in the northwestern Ontario city. 

Advocates and those close to the issue say a safe consumption site can be one way to at least minimize stigma and reduce harm. 

Machimity described her time being homeless as "a daily battle, a struggle."

"In all honesty, up until recently, I really didn't understand how to feel about it because being an addict on the street, you're just after that high. You're there to forget. You're there to numb all your past issues.

"I really can't say how I felt because I really didn't honestly feel anything."

That lack of feeling and lack of care are what scared her into seeking help, she said. Now, she does outreach work, using her lived experience to build trust and connections with people looking to recover. 

She recently spent some time with a 15-year-old girl, helping her clean her room. The girl confided she was experiencing meth withdrawals and asked how to cope with them.

She then revealed a serious foot injury she was hesitant to seek treatment for at the hospital, due to fear of discrimination for "being in the system," Machimity said. So she connected her with street doctor, Jonny Grek, to get help.

As Machimity has seen first hand, building that trust with vulnerable people can literally be life saving.

Machimity's dream is for Kenora to have a safe consumption site that offers harm reduction services and additional support all in one building. Results from a feasibility study into safe consumption services in Kenora, Fort Frances, Dryden and Sioux Lookout are expected to be released soon by the Northwestern Health Unit, after several delays.

Kenora Mayor Andrew Poirier has told CBC News he wouldn't comment on the calls for a safe consumption site until the health unit releases its safe consumption services feasibility study.