Hamilton's overdose prevention site will open next week despite fears of election delay
Team worried site couldn't start serving the community until after the June 7 vote
Hamilton's overdose prevention site (OPS) should be up and running on Tuesday next week, according to Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk, despite fears its opening would be delayed until after the election.
The team working to set up the site expressed concerns earlier in the week that the election period meant staff at the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care were in "caretaker mode" and couldn't sign off on vital documentation, meaning although they have government funding and approval to get started on Friday, they couldn't actually open until after the vote on June 7.
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Fears election will delay Hamilton's overdose prevention site's Friday opening
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Wiwcharuk, lead physician for the Shelter Health Network and part of the team working to set up the site, said after their worries were aired, a ministry spokesperson contacted the team to say they were actually cleared to start serving the community.
"Once they realized we were concerned that our start date would be affected, they go in contact to say we were good to go," She explained.
In a statement emailed to CBC news, a spokesperson for the ministry confirmed that despite the confusion, the OPS is, indeed, ready to open.
"Ministry staff have spoken with Dr. Jill Wiwcharuk and clarified that the election period was not the cause of the issue," read the statement. "It is the ministry's understanding that any questions concerning documentation have been clarified."
Caretaker mode limits announcements
The government enters a caretaker mode from the time the legislative assembly is dissolved until the election ends and a new or returning government is sworn in.
During the election, the government is only permitted to deal with routine or urgent matters and there are restrictions on the types of announcements can be made.
Wiwcharuk said her fears about the site were born out of the fact the ministry had been "exceptionally helpful" with setting up the OPS before the election, but communication had essentially stopped once the election began and her understanding was they would need someone to sign off on policies and procedures for the OPS before it could open.
Election still raises questions
The province has provided $116,300 to create a site at Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre's 71 Rebecca St. location. The OPS also has an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that begins on June 1 and ends Nov. 30.
But there's still one question lingering: What if a government that doesn't support supervised consumption sites gets elected?
While the NDP, Liberals and Green Party are all on record in support of the sites, Ontario PC leadership candidate Doug Ford previously said he's "dead against" them.
When asked what would happen if a government that's against the OPS is elected, ministry staff deferred to their caretaker role during the election.
"It would be inappropriate for the ministry to comment on this matter at the current time," was their response.