WHEREAS the Ontario Superior Court has issued an injunction on Section 2 of the Community Care and Recovery Act, allowing Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) sites to remain operational for 30 days beyond a Charter judgment;
AND WHEREAS the Province of Ontario has indicated it will not support the court injunction granting a suspension of CTS closures in Kitchener, Guelph, and other locations;
AND WHEREAS Waterloo Region’s only CTS site, located in Kitchener, is critical to saving lives and reducing harm among vulnerable constituents, as acknowledged by the court’s recognition of the high risk of death and injury to CTS clients should the site close;
AND WHEREAS there has been no visible community or institutional support for eliminating CTS services from local councils, advisory committees, schools, churches, health professionals, business owners, or CTS clients;
AND WHEREAS Section 3 of the Community Care and Recovery Act prohibits municipal support for consumption services without approval from the Ontario Minister of Health;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
- Regional Council formally requests that the Province of Ontario provide immediate funding and support to ensure continued operation of the Kitchener CTS site during the injunction period, in compliance with the court’s decision.
- Regional Council further requests that the Province grant approval under Section 3 of the Community Care and Recovery Act to allow the Regional Municipality of Waterloo to support and maintain CTS operations beyond the injunction period if necessary.
- Regional Council directs staff to communicate this motion urgently to:
- The Ontario Minister of Health,
- Local Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs),
- The Waterloo Region Drug Action Team,
- Relevant stakeholders advocating for harm reduction services.
- Regional Council commits to working collaboratively with provincial authorities and community partners to ensure no disruption in life-saving services provided by CTS during this critical time.