The Ontario government has officially declared war—not on crime, drugs, or systemic inefficiency, but on the most vulnerable group in our society. The recent legislation forcing supervised consumption sites across the province to close their doors is a direct attack on the street community. It’s a decision that will lead to continued suffering and countless deaths, exposing a disturbing lack of foresight and compassion in public policy. I just hope the government is prepared for the backlash and the destruction this decision will cause.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones has introduced new legislation stating that all consumption sites within 200 meters of any school or daycare must either shut their doors or become a HART (Homelessness and Addiction Recovery and Treatment) hub. Although there are many issues with this model, ill start with the most obvious—if HART hubs are to succeed in providing effective treatment, they must first secure housing and ensure access to timely, adequate treatment (within 24 hrs).
Another major issue is that current systems for housing, addiction treatment, shelters, mental health care, and public health are broken and need a complete overhaul. These systems aren’t functioning now because if they were, we wouldn’t be facing these problems! People on the street have been dealing with the inadequacies of the system for years. The government’s failings in these crucial areas of support are in no way the fault of CTS (Consumption and Treatment Services) or their clients.
The housing registry has a waitlist of over 10 years for subsidized housing, and people crowd the sidewalks around shelters hoping they’ll get a bed. I see people every night sleeping on the doorstep of the Ottawa Mission, who are constantly at capacity. As for treatment, unless the Ontario government plans to offer free tickets to a treatment centre within 24 hours of a request, their proposal is unreasonable! Without fixing these foundational problems, the HART model is nothing more than political theater—performative policy that can’t deliver on its promises.
Now, let’s talk about the idea of “protecting the children.” I’m not opposed to protecting kids—suggesting otherwise would be outrageous. When Health Minister Jones talks about “protecting children,” it’s really just a poorly disguised attempt to shift blame for the province’s systemic failures. As a mother, the last thing I want is for my child ( or anyone else’s) to be in danger. But, as both a mother and a client of a CTS in Ottawa, I find it deeply offensive that people who use CTS services are being portrayed as reckless, dangerous, or indifferent to the safety of their surroundings. The health minister might want to reconsider her approach. A better way to protect children would be to educate them, rather than shield them from reality— lest we suffocate under the rug we’re being swept under.
It’s also worth noting that schools in these areas aren’t new. If proximity to children was such a concern, the government shouldn’t have approved the applications to become CTS service providers in the first place. This sudden enforcement feels arbitrary and disingenuous.
Another issue, as the HART acronym implies, is the assumption that all homeless people use drugs, which is yet another harmful stereotype. Just as not all drug users are homeless, the implication that addiction and homelessness are synonymous is absurd. It’s as ridiculous as the National Post headline calling a homeless encampment an “opioid encampment,” as if homeless people are setting up tents to create some kind of impromptu opium den. Also the implication that homelessness is a problem that can be fixed by one seeking treatment is just a blatant insult. More blame shifting and legitimization of the stigma that homelessness is a personal failing not a systemic one. This minimizes both the homelessness crisis and the opioid epidemic, while shifting blame onto the victims.
Furthermore, as we all know, you can’t force someone into treatment. The National Post alarmingly reported that big-city mayors are proposing policies to allow forced treatment for addicts. Compelling treatment without consent is not only unethical, but also ineffective.
Maybe our Health Minister should pay more attention to the real experts who are unanimously opposed to closing supervised consumption sites. Experts have warned that shutting down CTS services will result in a surge of overdose deaths. Yet Health Minister Jones brushes aside these concerns, stating, “People are not going to die.” Such ignorance is staggering. These sites save lives daily, preventing overdoses and providing a bridge to essential services. Has anyone considered that the real experts might be those who have just been handed a death sentence by the province they call home?
Albert Einstein famously said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” The Ontario government should heed this wisdom. They created this crisis through years of neglect and underfunding, and now they exacerbate it by dismantling one of the few lifelines available to those in need.
Ontario’s leadership continues to prioritize power and profit over the lives of its most vulnerable citizens. Maybe policymakers wouldn’t be so eager to take away these services if it were their loved ones dying alone on the streets. By closing these centers, the government isn’t protecting children—it’s endangering entire communities. It’s time for policymakers to step out of their echo chambers and listen to the people whose lives are at stake. If they continue down this narrow-minded path, the backlash will be swift, and the consequences catastrophic.
Lives are on the line. Ontario must do better.
Add comment
Comments