Province to stop funding central Alberta harm reduction centre

The Turning Point Society is a harm reduction centre that has been providing services to Red Deer, Alta., for nearly 40 years. (Turning Point Society/Facebook)

A harm reduction centre that has been operating in Red Deer for nearly 40 years said last week the province will no longer fund its services as of Nov. 1.

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A Facebook post by Turning Point Society on Aug. 13 said the cuts account for the majority of their annual budget, putting the agency at “serious risk.”

“More importantly, this puts our clients and community at risk, particularly with this transition occurring right before winter hits our city,” said the post.

As a result of the funding cuts, several programs will be shut down as of Nov. 1, including the Women’s Program, which offers pregnancy and parenting support to women at risk, in poverty and on the streets; Health Promotion, a program that offers harm reduction supply access, referrals and IDs; Test and Treat, which does sexually transmitted blood borne infection testing; and Downtown Drop-In.

A statement from the Ministry of Primary and Preventative Health Services said it will transfer services to other providers as staff transition from Alberta Health Services to provincial health agencies.

“A comprehensive transition plan will be established within the upcoming weeks to minimize service disruptions and ensure a smooth transfer to alternate providers, maintaining continuity of care,” said the ministry.

Turning Point said it is working on a transition and sustainability plan in hopes that a more supportive solution can be made in recognition of the services it provides.

“We love our clients and this work, and we know the services we provide are unique and irreplaceable,” said Turning Point’s Facebook post. “This agency, the clients and the community at large are affected, and it’s time to come together to find solutions.”

There is a GoFundMe for Turning Point in hopes of raising $250,000 to keep the agency open.

“Right now, we are focusing on staying open to provide food and shelter for our houseless population during daytime hours in the winter months,” said Turning Point. “This also gives us time to look for grants and other funding.”

Turning Point was established in 1988 as a community-based response to the AIDS crisis in central Alberta.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Destiny Meilleur