Pubdate: Thu, 24 Aug 2017
Source: Metro (Ottawa, CN ON)
Copyright: 2017 Metro
Contact:  http://www.metronews.ca/Ottawa
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/4032
Author: Kieran Delamont
Page: A1

BOLD STEP IN OPIOID FIGHT

Pop-up injection site location to be disclosed Friday

Ottawa's first pop-up supervised injection site will open
Friday.

The group Overdose Prevention Ottawa (OPO) will make the announcement
Thursday morning but will not disclose its location ahead of
operations, which are scheduled to begin Friday.

"We're going to do exactly what Toronto did and not disclose our
location until we set it up," said Marilou Gagnon, associate professor
at the University of Ottawa School of Nursing and volunteer with OPO.

The move is a bold step in the fight against the mounting overdose
crisis in Ontario.

"The need is there, and if people don't believe us when we say that,
we'll be able to prove it," said Gagnon.

The Sandy Hill Community Health Centre recently received approval from
Health Canada to open its site, but they are still in the process of
renovating their facilities to meet ministry standards.

Critics say the process is still too slow.

"If the government won't remove politics from their public-health
approach, then we'll remove it for them," said Jordan Westfall,
president of the Canadian Association of People Who Use Drugs, in an
email.

The move follows the successful opening of a pop-up supervised
injection site in Toronto's Moss Park.
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MAP posted-by: Matt