Opioid-related deaths rise as approval for proposed safe consumption site in Barrie stalls

It's been 20 months since Barrie health officials sent an application for a consumption and treatment services (CTS) site in Barrie to Ontario's Ministry of Health.

Twenty months later, they're still waiting for an answer.

Two applications were sent to set up the site at the proposed 11 Innisfil Street location, one of which was approved by Health Canada last year.

"We are desperately hoping for the approval of this site," said Dr. Lisa Simon, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit Associate Medical Officer of Health. "We continue to wait for approval from the provincial government. That's what we hope to see in the near future."

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Dr. Simon said opioid poisonings in Barrie doubled after the pandemic, with 60 deaths and 74 deaths in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

That death rate is also double the provincial average, making the need for a consumption site all the more critical.

"We are encouraging residents to reach out to MPP Doug Downey and the Ministry of Health to ask them to help speed up the application," Dr. Simon added.

Community advocates say the wait has already been too long.

Victoria Scott is a director for the non-profit 'Engage Barrie,' and was a member of the site selection committee for the proposed CTS.

"We need to move on this. Too many people are dying," Scott told CTV News. "It brings community safety, provides comprehensive healthcare to people in need and the surrounding community benefits."

That's what harm reduction advocate, Christine Nayler, echoed.

Founding Ryan's Hope after losing her son to addiction in 2020, Naylor has been lobbying for change at all levels of government.

Earlier this month, she was in Ottawa to call for action.

"It can't just be sitting on someone's desk, collecting dust," Naylor said. "These are people's lives we're dealing with."

• RELATED | Barrie leaders urge federal and provincial governments to approve safe consumption site

The lead applicant for the CTS site in Barrie is the Simcoe County branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).

Should operational funding be approved by the province, it would become the first branch in Ontario to operate such a site.

"They would have direct access to mental health services, in addition to safe consumption," said Dr. Valerie Grdisa, CMHA Simcoe County CEO. "My agency has been patiently waiting, we've been working with ministry staff, and there's nothing more we can do than get an answer from the Ministry of Health."

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones recently told Queen's Park that the pandemic delayed several CTS applications.

A statement from the Ministry of Health on Thursday said timelines for each application could also vary, with each case treated separately.

However, the Ministry did not indicate how long Barrie's application process could take.