In what the city’s mayor calls a “landmark moment,” London has been given the go-ahead to open a permanent drug consumption and treatment site.
The Middlesex London Health Unit and Regional HIV/AIDS Connection (RHAC) announced on Monday the Ontario government has granted approval of their application for the site at 446 York St. The approval includes funding to pay for renovations at the site and to undertake operations once the facility is patient ready.
The former John Bellone music shop will be retrofitted to allow for six people at a time to use their narcotics under the supervision of health care professionals. There will also be dedicated space for aftercare and wrap-around services such as additional treatment and counselling.
"Make no mistake, this is a landmark moment for London," said Mayor Ed Holder. "These types of facilities have repeatedly been proven to not only save lives, but also improve lives by providing women and men with the necessary resources and supports to pursue recovery, independence, and fulfillment."
Carepoint, London's temporary drug use site at 186 King St., will be transitioned to the new facility on York once renovations are completed. The estimated cost to upgrade the permanent site is $1.2 million.
"There is a capital application process that is a stage process that we go through and that is going to take the next number of months," said Brian Lester, executive director of RHAC. "Once we work through that and gain that approval then we will be tendering for the retrofit of the site to move forward."
If that goes as planned, construction will begin in the spring with the site expected to be operational by late fall 2021, added Lester.
London has sought approval for the permanent site for the last two years. The York Street location was announced just 10 months after the doors to the temporary facility opened. The King Street site was introduced as public health officials struggled with a growing number of overdose deaths in the region due to the ongoing opioid crisis. Between 65 to 75 people visit the site on a daily basis. Since it opened in February 2018, more than 295 opioid-related overdose deaths have been prevented.
In June 2019, the provincial government rejected the proposed site at 446 York, pushing instead to make the King Street facility a permanent fixture. However, ten days later Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott reversed course while on a visit to London stating the York Street site was still under consideration. The site was met by legal challenges by neighbours who went to Ontario’s Local Planning Appeals Tribunal to contest city council's decision to rezone of the property for the drug-use site. The group lost their bid in November 2019 and went on to lose a similar appeal in provincial court in July of this year.
"To have a permanent site where you can really provide the service we need in this community is really going to make a difference and help to curb what is essentially the pandemic of opioid poisoning deaths that we are currently experiencing," said Dr. Chris Mackie, the region's medical officer of health.
He went on to state that it is too soon to say whether a second permanent consumption site proposed for 241 Simcoe St. is feasible and needed in the community.
"I don't think we have ruled anything out, but the focus right now is to get this first site up and running," said Mackie.
There were 60 opioid-related deaths in the London-area in 2019, according to figures from Public Health Ontario.