When the city's funding for the safe consumption site ends on Dec. 31, the hospital is stepping in to keep the facility's doors open.
Timmins and District Hospital (TADH) says it is extending the life of Safe Health Site Timmins (SHST) by three months — to March 31, 2024.
"This measure, while temporary, underscores TADH’s dedication to community health and the urgent need for sustainable provincial support of this life-saving service in Timmins and across Northern Ontario," wrote Kaileigh Russell, TADH communications specialist, in an email.
"TADH has submitted an interim funding proposal to the province to ensure treatment and harm reduction services remain available until greater certainty on the provincial government’s intentions for these sites is provided."
While the hospital waits for a response to the proposal, it is using its operational funds and "as many services from other agencies as possible" to continue to offer treatment and harm reduction services. The cost to the City of Timmins, which up until now has been the sole funder of the site, has been $85,833 a month.
RELATED: Safe consumption site union notified of potential layoffs: Mayor
SEE: Safe injection sites open without funding 'need to make their own determinations'
The province paused all new funding applications for safe consumption sites in October. It's to allow for a review of the facilities after a woman was hit by a stray bullet and killed outside of a Toronto site this year.
The facilities are places for people to use previously obtained drugs in the presence of trained medical staff and connect to services.
Safe Health Site Timmins (SHST) has been open since July 2022. The City of Timmins' funding commitment ends Dec. 31. The city has committed more than $1.5 million to operate the site to date.
After the announcement was made about pausing new funding applications, the union representing workers at SHST was given notice that the facility's future is uncertain beyond December 2023.
SHST is an urgent public health needs site (UPHNS) and is a temporary solution to bridge the gap while applying to Health Canada to secure a permanent supervised consumption site. That federal approval, up until a month ago, opened up provincial funding opportunities.
The Health Canada approval for a permanent facility was received right before the funding was paused.
The temporary facility is operated by Timmins and District Hospital. Once there is a permanent funding stream, it will be operated by the Canadian Mental Health Association Cochrane-Timiskaming.
