Proposed site for Winnipeg supervised consumption site in the city’s core

Posted on December 4, 2024 by Peggy

The province’s proposed supervised consumption site could soon be located along the Disraeli Freeway in Winnipeg.

According to Health Canada’s application page, an application for the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre located at 200 Disraeli Fwy. was submitted on Nov. 21.

The application is currently in the screening stage, according to the website.

Asked about the location choice Wednesday, Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said it’s already a spot where community resources are available.

“That particular area in core Winnipeg, which is really close to my constituency of Union Station, has a number of agencies that deliver primary care, agencies that are Indigenous-led, a lot of services that are providing community-level, grassroots-level care every single day, at all hours of the day, for folks who need it,” said Asagwara.

They pointed to the fact there is already infrastructure with health-care providers in the area.

“It’s right in a part of the city where we know that there are some challenges around homelessness, severe and persistent, maybe substance use challenges around that. We know that there’s community that exists there that really benefits from those services. And so, I do think it’s important when you stand up a supervised consumption site, or any service, that it’s meeting people where they’re at.”

If approved, the safe consumption site would share a building with N’Dinawemak – Our Relatives’ Place, which is located at 190 Disraeli Fwy.

N’Dinawemak – Our Relatives’ Place is a 24/7 low-barrier shelter that can provide short-term accommodations and supports for people to access housing.

When asked if there are concerns from people in the community about the location, Asagwara said residents have seemed open to this plan.

“They’ve been seeing these challenges for years, and what they want to see from their government is a compassionate, evidence-informed approach that brings primary care providers together, that brings experts to the community to meet people’s needs.”

Asagwara said the government is working to “stand this up as quickly as possible.”

According to Health Canada, to operate a supervised consumption site, an exemption must be granted first under section 56.1 of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.

“A completed application must include key information related to policies and procedures, personnel, local conditions, community consultations and finances,” Health Canada’s website notes.

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