Timmins first safe injection site is days away from officially opening.
Safe Health Site Timmins is opening on July 4 and will operate seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It's located in the former Living Space location on Cedar Street North across from city hall.
It's a place where people can use previously obtained drugs in the presence of trained medical staff and connect to services. It's being operated by Timmins and District Hospital.
Timmins doctors Julie Samson and Louisa Marion-Bellemare first talked to council about the treatment of addictions in the city in October 2020. An overdose prevention site is part of their multi-pronged vision to tackle the issue.
Health Canada approved the site in late June, according to a Timmins and District Hospital news release.
“The opening of this site is incredibly important to our city and an important milestone in the larger drug strategy,” said Samson in a statement. “This site will save lives.”
Safe Health Site Timmins is an urgent public health needs site (UPHNS) and is a temporary solution to bridge the gap while the work continues to secure a permanent supervised consumption site.
“This is the first step in the creation of a permanent, community treatment service in Timmins,” said Marion-Bellemare “This is an important day as we continue to work towards building capacity for our community and district, including detox and treatment service and access to supports in each of our rural and remote communities.”
While the permanent site has a funding stream, the temporary operation does not.
Last year, the City of Timmins committed over $1 million for the UPHNS.
SHST staff include nurses as well as harm reduction and community and safety liaison workers.
Related: Safe injection site location chosen for number of reasons
During the pandemic, the number of opioid deaths in Ontario rose significantly. The highest rates of opioid-related deaths were in three northern health unit areas — Sudbury, Algoma and Timmins.
In 2020, the Porcupine Health Unit region had the second-highest opioid death rate in the province.
Of the 40 people who died in 2020, 31 were in Timmins.
The trend did not improve in 2021.
Preliminary data from the chief coroner's office show that in the first 11 months of 2021 there were 36 substance-related deaths.
TADH president and CEO Kate Fyfe said it's wonderful that the community is getting together to "ensure that the most vulnerable have access to the services they need."
In the announcement, Timmins CAO Dave Landers acknowledged the leadership at the hospital and Porcupine Health Unit.
“Developing a strategy to address the opioid crisis in Timmins is multi-layered and requires clear guidance. We are fortunate to have the hospital and the health unit at the forefront of this project providing education and expertise as SHST opens its doors," he said.
