Sask. asks Ottawa not to renew exemption as Prairie Harm Reduction seeks to reopen site

A Health Canada exemption that allowed Saskatoon's supervised consumption site to operate legally has been suspended after financial issues came to light.

The provincial government asked Ottawa last week not to renew Prairie Harm Reduction’s exemption to operate a supervised consumption site, as the organization works to reinstate it.

In a March 25 letter to federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel obtained by CTV News, Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr asked that the exemption not be renewed when it expires at the end of March.

Carr wrote the province does not fund supervised consumption sites and instead supports a “treatment and recovery-oriented system of care.”

Meanwhile, Health Canada suspended Prairie Harm Reduction’s exemption on March 26. The exemption allows supervised consumption sites to operate legally, permitting the possession and use of controlled substances for harm reduction and overdose prevention.

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The suspension comes as the organization faces concerns over the management of its finances. External financial experts are reviewing its financial reporting.

In a statement to CTV News, Health Canada confirmed it suspended the exemption over recent financial issues.

“Exemption holders must demonstrate that they have resources available to support the safe and ongoing operation of a supervised consumption site, including adequate funding and organizational capacity,” the statement said.

Prairie Harm Reduction said in a news release it is working with Health Canada to have the exemption reinstated, and a preliminary financial update is expected in early April.

CTV News contacted Prairie Harm Reduction’s board with questions about financial oversight but did not receive a response by publication time.

Location concerns

Carr’s letter also said her ministry is considering legislation to restrict where supervised consumption sites can operate.

Carr said the Riversdale Business Improvement District and the Saskatoon West Business Association raised concerns about the site’s location, citing impacts on customer safety, local businesses and the overall well-being of the neighbourhood.

Effie Kutsogiannis, chair of the Riversdale Business Improvement District, said the group backs the province’s position.

“People do have security and safety concerns,” she said. “Just the behavior that develops when a person is using it’s very erratic behavior and you just don’t know what’s going to happen.”

In a statement, the Saskatoon West Business Association said it is “appreciative of the support from the Saskatchewan Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions in our request to Health Canada to pause the supervised consumption site’s operation at Prairie Harm Reduction.”

After the closure

When announcing the financial shortfall last week, Prairie Harm Reduction said demand for its services increased by nearly 300 per cent over the past year.

Responding to questions about gaps in service with the closure of Saskatoon’s only supervised consumption site, Carr said other organizations can help meet the need, including distributing naloxone.

“I think between all of the locations that we have and the outreach that we have, we should be able to handle that,” she told reporters Monday.

Prairie Harm Reduction receives provincial funding for some of its services, but not for its supervised consumption site.

Carr said the province has since cancelled funding for the organization. The drop-in centre remains open.