Windsor city council approves proposed location for safe consumption site

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Windsor, Ont. — Windsor city council has approved a proposed location on Goyeau Street for a supervised consumption and treatment site downtown.

Council members voted 6-5 in favour of the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s application to the province to establish a site at 628 Goyeau Street during Monday night’s council meeting.

"The people who deal with these issues on a daily basis, every single day, are saying this is the right location now,” Ward 3 councillor Rino Bortolin said.

Ward 4 councillor Chirs Holt said it was “mind boggling” Bortolin had to fight to get the site in his ward.

“While other people are buying slides for their playgrounds I have to worry about needle boxes in some of our areas to help ensure those parks are safe,” Bortolin said.

Councillors Bortolin, Holt, Fabio Costante, Gary Kaschak, Kieran McKenzie, and Jim Morrison voted in favour of the site, while Fred Francis, Jo-Anne Gignac, Jeween Gill, Ed Sleiman, and Mayor Drew Dilkens were opposed.

“I won’t support the motion, not because I don’t agree with the sentiment or the idea, but because I really think we can do something more,” Francis said.

According to WECHU officials, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the opioid crisis in the region, with emergency department visits, EMS calls and opioid overdose deaths all increasing since the pandemic’s onset.

Overdoses have quadrupled since 2016 with 416 in 2021, according to data presented by the health unit last Thursday,

There were also 64 deaths attributed to opioid overdoses in 2020, and thirteen overdose alerts were issued last year, a record, with 86.2 per cent of the cases reported to hospitals involving fentanyl.

"This is an epidemic. We did the right thing today and I expect that there will be ongoing outreach and dialogue with the business community and residents’ downtown as we move forward," Costante said in a tweet following the vote.

WECHU, along with the Windsor-Essex Community Health Centre and other local partners will operate the facility.

On-site, it will have medical providers, addiction support staff and security.

“We’d also have drop in offices in the CTS for services such as IV, housing, income support, mental health and addictions,” says Rita Taillefer, executive director of Windsor Essex Community Health Centre.

Some nearby businesses were not in favour of the location, voicing concerns for their business.

“Opening this safe injection clinic across the street from our hotel will tarnish our reputation,” says Daniela Maceroni, general manager of the Quality Inn & Suites.

WECHU director of health promotion Eric Nadalin said they will work with the community in opening the site.

“We will ensure that the site is in line with residents, the BIA’s and the city’s priorities for a welcoming downtown community,” he said.

The health unit will now complete and submit the provincial and federal application documents.

With files from CTV Windsor's Angelo Aversa