Wâhkôhtowin Harm Reduction in Regina holds grand re-opening after fire forced its closure

WATCH: An event was held to celebrate the grand re-opening of Wahkotowin Harm Reduction at Newo Yotina Friendship Centre. Damian Smith reports.

Ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day, the Newo-Yotina Friendship Centre in Regina held a grand re-opening for Wâhkôhtowin Harm Reduction after a fire at a neighbouring building forced it to close earlier this year.

On Thursday, the group hosted a free barbeque for connection and learning, while those working at the centre handed out Narcan kits and offered training on how to use them.

“[Narcan is] used a lot with the paramedics and a lot with the people that we’re using,” said Emile Gariepy, the harm reduction manager at the Newo-Yotina Friendship Centre. “It’s massively important that everybody knows how to use it, because the opioid problem is rising. I don’t know if it’ll get any better, but we’re doing our best to try and keep people alive.”

A memorial wall was also on display at the front of the centre - remembering those who lost their lives to drug overdose.

“Those are somebody’s children, they’re somebody who’s a family member, somebody’s brother, somebody’s sister,” Gariepy said. “It’s people [who] are put in a predicament, and at least we have a place for them to be able to use safely.”

The program is run by the Newo-Yotina Friendship Centre, which also looks for safe, secure, and affordable housing for those in need.

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Darian Wolstenholme, the region’s home housing manager, reflects on seeing working in the community.

“What it means is our clients can have a safe place to come back to,” she said. “They have a safe injection use site that they can utilize and safe equipment and just building those connections. Our housing team relies on this centre because it’s very difficult to find our clients sometimes.”

Sitting in the Heritage neighbourhood at 1635-11th Ave., the harm reduction and drop-in centre will be open seven days a week - starting on Sept. 6.

The housing and health and wellness programs will continue operating at 1930 Rae St. from Monday to Friday.