Safe consumption site now in new temporary location
A safe consumption site is offering its services to people from a new and temporary location, while construction on its permanent home is completed.
Carepoint Consumption, Treatment, and Harm Reduction Services set up a trailer on June 28 outside its future home, the former John Bellone music store, at 446 York Street.
Construction on the new site has been delayed, with pandemic and supply-chain issues pushing back the move-in.
“Our goal is for it to be [ready] by the end of this year,” said Megan Van Boheemen, Carepoint’s harm reduction services manager. “Construction is working really hard to get this state-of-the-art facility up and running as quickly as they can.”
The trailer is fully staffed for consumption purposes, said Van Boheemen, with four team members there throughout the day. That includes medical professionals like paramedics. Its needle and syringe program is at the Middlesex London Health Unit, while administrative duties happen off-site for the time being.
“Our staff does an amazing job at meeting people where they’re at and providing life-saving services,” she said.
The new site is right across the street from the Men’s Mission facility, but a neighbourhood business told CTV News London that clients have caused problems.
“Disaster. Very bad,” said Elyas Samano, who owns the nearby Piccadilly Motors body shop.
He acknowledges the challenges many of those clients face, but says the neighbourhood is leaving a bad impression for his customers.
“Those people are addicted, it’s very hard,” he said. “You see your property damaged, break-ins, burning cars. Lots of stuff.”
Carepoint tries to combat stigma against people using its services through education, said Van Boheemen.
“It’s a proven fact that harm reduction saves lives,” she said. “We’re responding to overdose on a regular basis. This service is required.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.