Julia Frankling –
forced five of Toronto’s supervised consumption sites to close on March 31, drop-in centres and outreach teams report a “devastating jump” in overdoses and public drug use in parks, alleyways and transit.
“Drop-ins have seen an over 200% increase in their response to overdose events in their service, since the closure in March,” says Kerry Riordan, director of development and communications at Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre. “We expect that trend to grow, as the weather gets colder, shelters are full, and warming centres are not yet open.”
“The community is seeing more people using outside because ‘where are you gonna go?’” said client David Gordon, who lost his girlfriend to a fentanyl overdose last year.
“It’s not safe using outside. You see people passing out in the streets, and people walking over their bodies. The community doesn’t want to see people using or dirty needles and a bunch of dead people everywhere,” says user Kiki Ben.
Two of the six supervised sites still open in Toronto are in jeopardy. Parkdale Queen West Community Health Centre, is being forced to close, and the Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site is operating under an injunction.
With fewer places for those in crisis to seek help, demand has grown for programs such as the Gerstein Crisis Centre operating out of Toronto public libraries, which support people with mental health, housing and substance-use concerns.
The pilot project launched in 2023, expanded in September to include 12 library branches, serving more than 8000 people.
While many view this initiative as providing needed safety and support, some people have expressed concern.
Brandon Ware, the son of a librarian says, “My mom is not a cop, a nurse or psych doctor. Drugs are found and used in the area, and people are tweeking out. The impact is an unsafe environment for people and kids. There’s been a steady decline in overall safety for staff and students in libraries.”
Some branches have installed motion detectors in washrooms to alert staff of possible overdoses, and Gerstein workers have administered CPR and naloxone onsite.
“Both those suffering in need and library-goers deserve better,” says library-goer Alexia Basiliou. “Libraries are some of the last free public spaces for people to spend time to study, pass the time, or entertain their children without cost.”
Gerstein executive director Susan Davis counters that, “people who use drugs are part of vulnerable communities and deserve equitable access to public spaces. Concerns often stem from stigma rather than actual community impact.”
Parent Jules Osland says, “drug users and people with mental health issues can read and benefit from library programs too. This initiative will push more funding into our libraries and is a good opportunity to teach your children compassion and street smarts.”
In October, the city opened all 100 branches on Sundays to meet increased demand for accessible spaces. Some speculate the expansion is tied to the Gerstein project.
“I do think the timing lines up for that to be the case,” says Basiliou. “Instead of creating appropriate crisis centres, they’re just extending library hours to accommodate,”
Meanwhile, the province’s new Homeless Addiction Recovery Treatment Hubs (HART Hubs) are beginning to open. Closing supervised sites were offered the option to transition into HART Hubs, but many substance users say they lack harm-reduction services such as safe injection and needle exchange.
“I think it’s stupid. You shut them all down and replace them with HART Hubs, which if you’re a user, you’re not going to go to,” said Kiki Ben, a user.
“People are being forced to come from far stretches of the city to use a supervised consumption site and inject safely. It’s hard coming all the way down here. They’re going to see the impact of the overdose rates, especially in the east and north ends — there’s only a few open downtown now,” Ben said.
Evidence consistently shows harm reduction sites save lives, reduce disease transmission, and connects people with health and social supports they may not seek on their own. Removing the sites will intensify public exposure and worsen the crisis.
The Gerstein crisis centres and HART Hubs fill urgent gaps, but without comprehensive harm-reduction strategies and adequate housing, there is no long-term solution.
The increased visibility of the unhoused and substance use in public is a result of a government failing the vulnerable populations it is mandated to protect, relying on fear and division instead of solutions. Riordan says front line community organizations like hers are bearing the brunt of that failure.
“When people have stable housing, they are far less likely to use outdoors, and less likely to overdose alone. A housing-first approach is one of the most effective, evidence-based solutions to the crises and we should be focusing our energy on this.”
