Shockwaves continuing around the province following PHR closure

“It’s brutal out there right now. It’s honestly very chaotic. I’ve been here for five years and I haven’t seen the streets like this in five years,” said Emile Gariepy, manager of the safe consumption site Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre in Regina.

“Right now with the stronger fentanyl, everyone is dropping,” he said.

Data from the Regina Police Service reported 244 drug overdoes incidents last March.

Regina Fire and Protective Services and Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre reported 29 overdoses during a three-day span from April 24 to 26, including three suspected overdose fatalities.

Gariepy said samples tested at their safe consumption site have found to contain a high amount of dangerous substances like fentanyl and benzodiazepines.

“We’re getting high concentrations of fentanyl in people’s drugs. Since mid-April, we’ve been seeing an average of two overdoses per day. Yesterday I had eight.”

The Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre is funded through the City of Regina, as well as through donations and sale of merch – but due to limited funding, are only able to stay open until 4:00pm daily.

“I really wish it could go later,” said Gariepy. “There’s been times when clients have passed away after hours. And they are the ones that come in here and use quite frequently.”

In Saskatoon, Priaire Harm Reduction (PHR) – the city’s only safe consumption site – closed last month following the discovery of a major financial shortfall. The closure has increased fears of overdoses and deaths amidst the province’s drug crisis.

“We’re in a toxic drug emergency here in the province,” said Betty Nippi-Albright, MLA for Saskatoon Centre and NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions.

“We’ve been in a crisis quite a while and this (Saskatchewan) government has ignored all the calls we’ve been making about the crisis. We’re getting regular drug alerts almost daily from communities around the province.”

“It’s brutal out there right now. It’s honestly very chaotic. I’ve been here for five years and I haven’t seen the streets like this in five years,” said Emile Gariepy.

“Right now with the stronger fentanyl, everyone is dropping,” he said.

Gariepy is the manager of the safe consumption site at Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre in Regina – the first and only safe consumption site operating in Regina.

The numbers back up Gariepy’s testimony. Data from the Regina Police Service reported 244 drug overdoes incidents in the city last March.

Additionally, Regina Fire and Protective Services and Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre reported 29 overdoses during a three-day span from April 24 to 26, including three suspected overdose fatalities.

Gariepy said samples tested at their safe consumption site have found to contain a high amount of dangerous substances like fentanyl and benzodiazepines.

“We’re getting high concentrations of fentanyl in people’s drugs. Since mid-April, we’ve been seeing an average of two overdoses per day. Yesterday I had eight.”

The Nēwo-Yōtina Friendship Centre is funded through the City of Regina, as well as through donations and sale of merch – but due to limited funding, are only able to stay open until 4:00pm daily.

“I really wish it could go later,” said Gariepy. “There’s been times when clients have passed away after hours. And they are the ones that come in here and use quite frequently.”

In Saskatoon, Priaire Harm Reduction (PHR) – the city’s only safe consumption site – closed last month following the discovery of a major financial shortfall. The closure has increased fears of overdoses and deaths amidst the province’s drug crisis.

“We’re in a toxic drug emergency here in the province,” said Betty Nippi-Albright, MLA for Saskatoon Centre and NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions.

“We’ve been in a crisis quite a while and this (Saskatchewan) government has ignored all the calls we’ve been making about the crisis. We’re getting regular drug alerts almost daily from communities around the province.”