Safe injection site’s hours being reduced due to lack of funding

A safe injection site in Montreal's Village neighbourhood is cutting its hours due to lack of funding.

A non-profit organization in Montreal, which provides safe injection services for people with addictions, will be forced to cut its hours in the coming weeks due to a lack of funding.

When the opioid crisis hit the city around 2017, Spectre de Rue was one of the first to offer a safe space where users could consume without risking an overdose.

“Some of the street drugs are contaminated with all sorts of impurities,” said director Annie Aubertin.

The restricted hours at the space on Ontario Street East in the Village will leave clients to fend for themselves beginning next week.

“These people need their fix, several times a day,” said Aubertin.

Aubertin’s team has warned users to reach out to other safe injection sites in other parts of town.

The opening hours change, however, do not change much in the uneasy relationship between the centre and local residents and businesses.

For years, many in the area have asked that the site be moved to a different location because the neighbourhood is filled with young families.

“There are parents who hesitate to leave their children outdoors because of dirty needles,” said local business owner Christophe Cambolin.

Others in the area are happy the hours are being reduced.

“At least return to the initial restricted hours of operation that were negotiated with the community when the centre first opened,” said local resident Christelle Perigon.

Cambolin said, ideally, the centre should be moved closer to a hospital.