Recognizing the Impact of Positive Living Niagara’s Consumption and Treatment Services
St. Catharines, ON – On International Harm Reduction Day, the Niagara Ontario Health Team – Équipe Santé Ontario Niagara (NOHT-ÉSON) wishes to acknowledge the significant contributions Positive Living Niagara has made through its Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site in St. Catharines, and to recognize the vital role evidence-based harm reduction services play in saving lives, reducing stigma, and connecting people to care.
Between 2019 and 2025, Positive Living Niagara recorded more than 88,000 visits and over 1,500 overdose reversals, underscoring the critical role it has played in saving lives, building trust, and creating community safety. This work has also created opportunities for engagement, support, and referrals that may not otherwise have occurred.
As this service is scheduled to end in mid-June, the NOHT-ÉSON recognizes that its loss will create gaps and risks for the population Positive Living Niagara and other partners of the NOHT-ÉSON have served. For many individuals, the site has offered not only supervised consumption, but also access to early intervention, prevention of HIV and Hepatitis C, direct access to health and social services, and a relationship-based entry point into broader systems of care. Its absence will have impacts both for individuals who rely on the service, the neighbourhood, and the broader health care system. As we have seen in other communities, the discontinuation of funding for sites has resulted in increased demand for emergency medical responses, increased hospital pressures, and additional strain on the health and social services sectors.
While the NOHT-ÉSON welcomes the investment to offer HART Hub services locally, they simply do not replace life-saving supervised consumption services. HART Hubs and consumption sites are complementary services within a comprehensive continuum of care. As this transition continues, it is important to acknowledge that these models serve different functions and populations, and that changes in service delivery may affect how people access care and support.
The NOHT-ÉSON urges the Province to continue supporting evidence-based harm reduction services in the community. Our network remains committed to supporting people who use substances in Niagara to ensure they have access to care in ways that are responsive, compassionate, and effective. We will continue to work collaboratively with partners across the region to protect health, preserve dignity, and improve outcomes for vulnerable residents.
