Downtown Rally Opposes Supervised Consumption Site Closures

Community members gathered in downtown Toronto Saturday for a rally and concert opposing Ontario's plan to close supervised consumption sites across the province.

The provincial government announced in March it would end funding for at least three drug consumption sites, including two in Toronto — the Fred Victor Centre and South Riverdale Community Health Centre. Funding ends June 13.

Coun. Chris Moise, who spent more than 20 years working in healthcare specializing in mental health and addiction, said the closures will strain emergency services and push drug use into public spaces. "When supervised consumption sites are closed, there is more burden on police, paramedics and hospitals," Moise said. "It also means more people will be using drugs in public, including parks and laneways."

The province is shifting toward an abstinence-based model, launching 19 HART hubs and 375 supportive housing units at a planned cost of $378 million. Three Toronto sites — operated by Street Health, Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site, and Casey House — were not affected by the funding cut.

Data shows the stakes. In Toronto, paramedics received 387 non-fatal opioid overdose calls in March, more than double the number from March 2025. Across Ontario, suspected drug toxicities treated by emergency services jumped from 604 in the first quarter of 2025 to 1,024 in the third quarter.

Advocate Jason Miles, who spent seven years battling addiction and homelessness, said safe consumption sites provided more than services. "It was the only place I really felt like I belonged," he said. "When we're talking about these sites closing, we're not just talking about this simple loss of a support network. We're talking about life and death."

The Stay Open, Stay Alive rally underscores how vulnerable communities will be hit hardest by the closures.