Premier Doug Ford, health minister defend supervised consumption site closures
Written by The Canadian Press on March 25, 2026
TORONTO — Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his health minister are defending the decision to shutter more supervised drug consumption sites.
Two weeks ago, the province notified seven supervised consumption sites that it would be pulling their funding, with sites set to close by mid-June.
Health Minister Sylvia Jones says the province will not reconsider the closures.
Jones says they are having early success with a new abstinence-based model known as homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART, hubs.
Health-care workers, advocates and homeless people have decried the closures and say they will lead to more deaths.
Six former mayors of Toronto have urged Ford and Jones to reconsider their decision.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 25, 2026.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press