Supervised consumption site to open Aug. 11

The province’s first supervised consumption site is set for an official launch on Aug. 11, a provincial spokesperson has confirmed.

The 366 Henry Ave. site, which is being run by the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg, will have two days of training for staff members later this week, before opening for full operation in the parking lot in two weeks.

The building is still undergoing renovations, and operations will eventually be moved inside the former Western Fabrics building.

In the interim, mobile units will be set up in the parking lot, which has been fenced off for privacy reasons.

The Indigenous-led site does not supply people with drugs, but rather offers supervision to prevent overdoses, access to drug-testing services, and connect to treatment options and social supports.

The site is expected to operate Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6:45 p.m.

“The operational hours have been informed by best practice medical knowledge from other Canadian sites and guidance from community partners,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “This approach ensures that every Manitoban that comes to the supervised consumption site walks into a secure, controlled environment with the best harm reduction and connection to social and medical supports possible.”

The facility first opened in June for one training day, where staff from Sunshine House’s mobile overdose prevention site began training new employees.

scott.billeck@freepress.mb.ca