A heated incident at Queen’s Park took place on Tuesday when protesters spoke up against the government closing safe consumption sites in Ontario.
In a video taken inside Queen’s Park, a man is seen yelling out from the observation gallery of the provincial legislature, in opposition to the Ford government’s decision to close safe consumption sites in Ontario, followed by another protester yelling out moments later.
“I work in a safe consumption site. I see one to two people overdose every day and we save lives. There’s blood on your hands!” the first man yelled, as Associate Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Michael Tibollo was speaking in defense of the new legislation.
The protester was led away by security shortly after.
A few moments later, another man was directed out of the room by security after speaking out toward legislators regarding the same decision.
On Monday, the Ford government put forward a bill that would close 10 supervised consumption sites , five of which are in Toronto, as part of the The Safer Streets, Stronger Communities Act.
According to a news release, the bill is a way to protect children and families by prohibiting the operation of supervised consumption sites within 200 metres of a school, licensed child-care centre or EarlyON Child and Family Centre.
If passed, Ontario will require approval for municipalities and local boards to fund or participate in a safer supply program.
The legislation will also prohibit them from applying to the federal Minister of Health for an exemption for the decriminalization of illegal drugs.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones said in a press conference on Monday that the legislation means “there will be no further safe injection sites in the province of Ontario under our government.”
The Ontario government has previously announced it will be investing $378 million into 19 new homelessness and addiction recovery treatment hubs (HART hubs) set to open in March 2025.
“Obviously people are very concerned,” Marit Stiles, NDP Leader, said to reporters following the session, according to CP24. “I don’t know who those protesters were, but I know that people on the front line in particular are very concerned about what this is going to mean; lives being lost.”
According to the Government of Canada, supervised consumption sites provide a safe, clean space for people to bring their own drugs to use, in the presence of trained staff.
The goal of these sites are to prevent accidental overdoes and reduce the spread of infectious diseases such as HIV.
