Montreal supervised inhalation site opening delayed

The new supervised inhalation site in Montreal’s Saint-Henri neighbourhood was set to open Wednesday but has been delayed due to construction.

Maison Benoît Labre, the organization behind the project, tells CityNews that the site will open in February 2024.

Last month, a coalition of parents and businesses in the area called on the Quebec government to not allow the supervised drug site to open citing its location is too close to an elementary school.

“We don’t find it ideal for the area that they’re planning to open up, exactly across from that centre there is a school, children and students,” says Zoe Halkias, manager at Greenspot Restaurant. The restaurant is also located near the inhalation site.

The complex, located on Greene Avenue and Notre-Dame, has 36 studios for individuals suffering from drug addiction and living in situations of homelessness. It will also offer a substance analysis service, so people can screen their drugs before using them. That said, purchasing or selling drugs onsite is not allowed. The city has four supervised injection sites already however, this inhalation site will be the first of its kind in Quebec.

“All I know is that it was a building where a lot of people used to live in before tenants and it was demolished. And now we all know that it’s going to be a centre of that sort. And no information from the government whatsoever,” said Halkias.

In the past, the organization’s executive director, Andréane Desilets, has told The Canadian Press it has strived to raise awareness of the new residence and overdose prevention centre in Saint-Henri.

Last month, CityNews reached out to the office of Lionel Carmant, Quebec’s Minister of Social Services, and in an email they said: “A supervised inhalation center is an important service for reducing the harm associated with drug use. It’s an approach our government believes in at a time when the opioid crisis is hitting Quebec harder and harder.”

“We are sensitive to the fears and questions of the citizens living in the neighbourhood. The project has the support of local elected officials, community organizations, and parents. The Public Health Department has received a request for approval of the supervised inhalation center, and the situation is still under analysis.”

“I think if it’s well maintained and there are professionals with the people that have these problems, and I think it’ll be fine. I think it’s just part of society. We’re in a city, so there’s a lot of different types of people and we have to coexist,” said one Montrealer.

“I think that’s  better than people risking dying on the street without having somebody keeping them safe,” says another Montrealer.