Tensions boil over at Community Living

Peterborough—Kawartha MPP Dave Smith speaks at the Peterborough HART Hub launch, as Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock MPP Laurie Scott (left) and Honorable Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, Ontario Ministry of Health (right) look on. (Photo by Gabe Pollock)

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Greetings, it’s Peterborough Currents editor Gabe Pollock, delivering your weekly newsletter.

This past Friday, I joined colleagues in the media, as well as politicians, political hopefuls, and representatives from 11 different social services agencies and government departments for the launch event for HART Hub. It was a loud and excited room, full of bold proclamations and dramatic figures.

And, indeed, there’s reason to be excited: it’s not every day the provincial government hands over $18 million (over three years) in new funding for homelessness and addictions services.

However, this funding, and how it’s going to be used, represents a pretty major shift by the provincial government in how it handles addictions services, and it could have serious consequences in Peterborough.

Let’s get into it.

New provincial funding (and a change in priorities) for homelessness and addictions services in Peterborough

by Gabe Pollock

Peterborough social service agencies are receiving over $18 million in new investment from the provincial government over the next years for the new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, aimed at medical care and housing solutions for those currently experiencing homelessness and addictions.

Launching just weeks after the closure of Peterborough’s supervised consumption site (CTS), the HART Hub model also represents a significant shift in how the provincial government handles services for addictions.

At a launch event at Miskin Law Community Centre on Friday, Peterborough–Kawartha MPP Dave Smith described Peterborough’s Hart HUB as a “conceptual hub,” rather than a specific location, integrating existing services provided by 11 different partner non-profit organizations and government agencies, and supplementing those with new offerings.

In addition to a new multi-disciplinary health team that will be on site at The Crossing modular housing community on Wolfe Street, HART Hub brings 62 new units of transitional housing to the city.

This includes 50 units of standard transitional housing spread across Peterborough, intended as a next step for those currently housed in The Crossing community, as well as two specialized housing projects: a six-unit development with 24/7 staffing for those with complex dual diagnoses, and another six-unit development for those in substance use recovery, which is described as an “abstinence-based” housing model.

This announcement is part of a significant shift by the provincial government in how it handles substance use and treatment. The original announcement of HART Hub funding in late 2024, for Peterborough and 28 other sites across the province, was paired with dramatic new restrictions for CTS services. This ultimately led to the defunding of all CTS sites across Ontario earlier this year, and the closure of most sites, including in Peterborough.

“Our government doesn’t believe in providing tools for the most vulnerable in our communities to use illicit drugs,” said Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, who was present at the launch event. “Instead, we believe in providing recovery and treatment, breaking the cycle of addiction.”

MPP Smith mirrored these comments, repeating to reporters a previous talking point that “harm reduction without treatment is palliative care. They will die of their addiction if all they have is harm reduction. You’re not solving the problem.”

Earlier this month, Lakelands Public Health CEO, Dr. Thomas Piggott warned of the major health consequences that could be caused by closing the CTS site. Studies have shown that CTS services reduce overdose-related deaths, reduce emergency room visits, and help to forge relationships of trust between those with addictions and social services agencies, which can eventually lead to them seeking treatment.

“People are going to die as a result of this decision,” said Dr Piggott of the CTS closure.

HART Hub “is a completely different response model” than the CTS sites, said Donna Rogers, executive director at Four Counties Addiction Services Team (Fourcast), speaking at the HART launch. Fourcast ran the local CTS site until its closure, and is now a major partner in the local HART Hub. “There is nothing [in the HART Hub model] replacing a safe location to use drugs,” said Rogers.

Without a CTS site, Rogers said that there will be a “heavy reliance” on One City Peterborough, which operates the low-barrier shelter and homeless services hub at Trinity Community Centre. “One City really is the epicentre of triaging, system navigation, and support for base needs within this community.”

One City is a partner in the HART Hub project, assisting with the development of transitional housing rental units and supporting those still at The Crossing, but HART funding does not include any additional support for Trinity or harm reduction work.