Saskatoon’s supervised consumption site to permanently close by end of day

Prairie Harm Reduction has ceased all operations following a financial crisis. Stacey Hein reports.

Prairie Harm Reduction has ceased all operations following a financial crisis.

The organization’s board says that by 5 p.m., all services — including the supervised consumption site, the drop‑in centre, support services and two youth homes — will close.

The board says a major financial shortfall discovered last month, for which it ousted executive director Kayla DeMong, was worse than anticipated.

“This decision was not made lightly,” the board said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

“After assuming operational control, the board explored every possible option to continue services. Despite strict financial restrictions being implemented in early March, the board has come to understand that the financial shortfall was more dire than originally identified and the deficit continues to grow.”

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

It would not put a dollar figure on the shortfall, but says it amounts to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The board also says there are still unanswered questions because it cannot afford a forensic financial audit.

“Such an audit would be required to identify causes and specific opportunities for mitigation,” the statement said.

“After the board received the financial review from PHR’s independent financial advisors, it was clear there was no viable path forward.”

According to the board, it opted to cease all operations to ensure “staff and those they serve do not experience any continued undue distress.”

“All staff have been advised and made aware of how this impacts them individually.”

Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) employs about 70 full‑time staff and offered a range of services beyond providing a safe, medically supervised place for people to use drugs.

The organization also provided services for youth, and a drop-in centre where staff were available to help connect people with supports to find housing.

Saskatoon has seen the number of people without shelter skyrocket in recent years. The last point-in-time count, conducted in October, found nearly 2,000 people without housing, an increase of just 500 in one year.

For years prior to her ouster, DeMong was vocal about the increasing demand for services at PHR, and the strain it put on staff and resources.

“To those who accessed our services, thank you for trusting us. We are sorry we can no longer walk beside you,” the board said.

In an emailed statement, the Ministry of Social Services told CTV News its existing contract with PHR to provide services to child and family clients would remain in effect until the end of the month.

“There will be no disruption of services to the youth in care who are receiving services through our contracts. We are transitioning all youth to alternate care options that will meet their needs and ensure their uninterrupted access to services.”

Saskatoon NDP MLA Betty Nippi-Albright lamented the closure, arguing the Saskatchewan Party government has a long-established pattern of cutting vital social and health services when they are needed most.

“In the middle of a homelessness and drug crisis, losing critical outreach, housing and community-based care supports, without a plan on how to support those impacted, is the last thing our province needs,” she said.

“We already have some of the longest wait times for mental health supports in the country, and nearly a person per day is dying from overdose or drug poisoning.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health told CTV News naloxone is widely available, with 177 locations in the Saskatoon area offering take-home kits for the medication, which reverses opioid overdoses.