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last mo.

Saskatchewan Cuts Funding and Contracts With Prairie Harm Reduction After Federal Suspension

A pivot to recovery hubs over supervised consumption risks more overdoses, doctors warn.

Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon.
Prairie Harm Reduction
Prairie Harm Reduction, located on 20th Street in Saskatoon, is primarily funded by community support, but the organization faces a significant cash deficit from a demand in services and "insufficient financial management." While Health Canada suspended the supervised consumption site on March 25, citing "significant funding shortfall and organizational constraints," the drop-in centre remains open.
The supervised drug consumption site at the Somerset West Community Health Centre was the first across Canada that was forced to close last year, the ward councillor said Tuesday.

Overview

  • Health Canada suspended Prairie Harm Reduction’s federal exemption to run Saskatoon’s supervised consumption site because of a significant funding shortfall and organizational constraints, forcing the site to close until further notice in late March.
  • Soon after, Saskatchewan ended its contracts with the organization and halted more than $2.5 million in annual payments for other programs, saying it does not fund supervised consumption and citing governance concerns.
  • Prairie Harm Reduction fired executive director Kayla DeMong, kept its drop-in centre open, named Emmanuelle “Em” Morin to oversee daily operations, and hired external financial experts who expect a preliminary report in early April.
  • In Ontario, the province is replacing several supervised consumption sites with 28 Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment hubs funded at about $550 million, and the hubs do not include drug-checking services.
  • Toronto’s medical officer said drug checking shows most substances thought to be fentanyl are adulterated with drugs like medetomidine, and protesters and clinicians warn closures are pushing overdoses into public spaces and already stretched emergency rooms.