Riversdale business leader welcomes suspension of supervised consumption site

Effie Kutsogiannis, chair of the Riversdale Business Improvement District, said she welcomed Health Canada’s suspension of the exemption that allowed Prairie Harm Reduction to operate a supervised consumption site in Saskatoon; Health Canada cited a funding shortfall and concerns about organizational capacity.

Health Canada last week suspended the exemption that had allowed Prairie Harm Reduction to run a supervised consumption site on 20th Street West in Saskatoon. The suspension was announced amid a reported funding shortfall and concerns about the non-profit’s organizational capacity. Effie Kutsogiannis, who runs a dental office near the site and chairs the Riversdale Business Improvement District, said she welcomed the suspension because of worries about social disorder near the building. Provincial funding to Prairie Harm Reduction was also announced as ending by the government, and the PHR board recently dismissed its executive director. Reported developments: - Health Canada suspended the exemption that permitted Prairie Harm Reduction’s supervised consumption site, citing a funding shortfall and organizational capacity concerns. - The exemption had been set to expire on Tuesday and was suspended the previous Thursday. - The provincial government announced it is ending annual funding to Prairie Harm Reduction and said ministries will work to ensure continuity of care for those served by the agency. - Effie Kutsogiannis, Riversdale BID chair, said she welcomed the suspension and reported increased disturbance calls in the neighbourhood; PHR’s board chair said more information is expected soon. Summary: The suspension removes the exemption that allowed the supervised consumption site to operate and follows questions about funding and organizational capacity. Impact on local services and the neighbourhood was raised by business leaders and by government statements; next steps for the site and for affected services remain undetermined at this time.