It’s been nine days since it was announced Guelph’s Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) will shutter at the end of March. The possible implications were talked about by Guelph community members on Thursday as they remember those they lost to drug poisoning.
Over 200 people gathered at St. George’s Square to their friends, family, and community members they lost for the annual Drug Poisoning Awareness Day.
Among the crowd, people wore shirts with phrases like “remembering lives lost,” “every death is a policy failure,” and “nice people take drugs.”
In 2023, 62 people in Guelph and Wellington County died due to drug poisonings. This year 29 people have died so far.
“The losses we are honouring today are preventable,” said Bree Woods, manager of community engagement and volunteer support at Sanguen Health Centre, in her speech.
“You know, this isn't a moral failure. It's a public health disaster. It's an epidemic,” said Tommy Gilligan, peer outreach worker with Stonehenge Therapeutic Community, in his comments.
Although there isn’t provincial legislation yet regarding the government's order to shutter most CTS sites, Guelph organizations working that the field referenced the provincial government's notion as preventing municipalities and organizations from participating in federally funded safer supply programs. It would also ban municipalities from asking the federal government to decriminalize drugs.
Nicholas Menner wanted to reiterate the same point he made last year when he spoke: “Just because you're an addict, doesn't mean you have to lie, steal or cheat to get your fix.”
Menner spoke to his thoughts on what the implications of the provincial government’s orders could be for the local community.
“They're going to have to go back to doing things that they don't want to do or don't enjoy doing,” Menner said of people in the program who may have to return to buying drugs on the street. “The crime rate is going to go up. And I'm scared. I'm scared for everybody.”
When people are backed into a corner and they are forced into things they’re not ready for, you will see more aggression, he said.
During the event, speakers continued to put an emphasis on the lives lost and spoke about the challenges the Guelph community faces.
Local pharmacist Danny Lui spoke about the loss of his son Stephen in 2017 due to drug poisoning. “I still think about him every day. The pain and emptiness is still there, and anger was definitely one of my initial responses,” said Lui.
He knew his anger wouldn’t change the situation or help the larger problem. Lui promised he would pay tribute and honour Stephen by putting in the effort to support people who are at risk of homelessness, addiction and mental health challenges.
With the closure of Guelph’s CTS and Wednesday night’s Guelph city council meeting with its public space bylaw passing, Lui shared his thoughts on it.
“Ultimately, this decision will not help increase public safety. I know a lot of you are angry, upset and anxious about the future. I want you to put all this feeling aside for the moment. Take this time now, as we are together, to remember all the ones we lost to drug poisoning. Reflect on the emotions. Give yourself permission to grieve. Hug someone you love. Let go of all the negativities. Going forward we can support one another and help others to understand, listen and learn. This is the only way to get to a better place,” said Lui.
Kate Nixon, coordinator for Your Downtown Guelph Friends, touched on the importance of Drug Poisoning Awareness Day.
“We come together year after year because we believe, no, we know that the work we do matters. We gather because we believe in the power of community, the power of resilience and the power of love,” said Nixon.
“Over the years, I've had the privilege and the heartbreak of knowing many in our community who have lost their lives. These are not just names on a list. They were vibrant, passionate individuals, each with their own dreams, talents and stories. They were our friends, our family, our neighbours. I remember their faces, their laughter, their kindness,” she said.
Although the people we have lost in our community can’t be brought back “we can fight for a future where harm reduction services are supported, not shuttered. A future where every life is valued, where every individual is treated with dignity and respect, and where no one is left behind.”
