Harm Reduction Advocates Lead Charter Challenge to Save Supervised Consumption Sites

Harm Reduction advocates gathered outside 330 University Avenue as an Ontario court heard a charter challenge against the province’s plan to shut down 10 supervised consumption sites across Ontario by April 1, 2025. Among the sites at risk is the Regent Park Community Health Centre, a critical service that has prevented overdoses and saved countless lives. The challenge, led by a neighborhood group and two individuals who use these services, argues that Ontario’s plan violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, specifically the right to life, liberty, and security of the person. Harm reduction experts warn that closing these sites amid a toxic drug crisis will disproportionately harm marginalized communities in Downtown East Toronto. Mskwaasin Agnew, an Indigenous harm reduction advocate, emphasized that the closures are rooted in “racism” ignoring evidence that these sites create safer environments and provide essential support. She highlighted the devastating impact of toxic drugs on Indigenous communities, saying, “Many of the people I see are from my own urban Indigenous community. I see firsthand how my own people are disproportionately impacted by this toxic drug supply.” Zoe Dodd, a long-time harm reduction leader, criticized the government’s approach, calling it “shameful” and highlighting the need for continued community resistance. “This is not about treatment or not treatment. This is about care, love, and a place to be safe from a toxic drug crisis that’s killing people.” As the legal battle unfolds, advocates stress that lives hang in the balance.