Barrie – After an extensive community consultation process that included online surveys, discussions with key stakeholders including Barrie City Council members, and neighborhood virtual consultation sessions, 11 Innisfil St. (also known as 80 Bradford St., Unit 940) has been endorsed by Barrie City Council as the location for a Supervised Consumption Site (SCS) for the community.

If approved federally and provincially, the site would eventually be home to services ranging from supervised consumption, to addictions and mental health, to social services and primary care. It would fill a much-needed gap for low-barrier access to these services for people who use drugs in the Barrie community.

“We are so pleased with having received Council’s support for this application. As the planning proceeds, we are committed to continuing to work with the local neighbourhood and people who use drugs, to ensure the best possible services,” said Dr. Lisa Simon, associate medical officer of health for Simcoe Muskoka.

The application for the site has been led by the Canadian Mental Health Association – Simcoe County (CMHA-SC) and the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU). The site selection and consultation process were guided by an SCS Site Selection Advisory Committee. Endorsement was received by Barrie City Council at its regular City Council meeting on May 31, 2021.

“A huge thank you goes to our SCS Site Selection Advisory Committee members, other local stakeholders including Barrie City Council, and the local community who took the time to participate in the consultation process,” said Dr. Valerie Grdisa, CEO of CMHA-SC.  “Together, we have succeeded in moving forward in the process of bringing these crucial services to the Barrie community.”

The successful endorsement of the site allows the co-applicants to finalize site plans in consultation with neighbouring residents and business, and to submit the application both to the federal government for exemption from the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act and to the provincial government for funding approval.  Ongoing community engagement and planning will continue while decisions from Health Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Health are pending.

For more information on SCSs, including the local SCS application history and the recent work of the SCS Site Selection Advisory Committee, visit www.smdhu.org/SCS.

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