An update was provided to Regional Council about the work being done at the Consumption and Treatment Services site (CTS) in downtown Kitchener.
Violet Umanetz is the director of the site which is located at 150 Duke Street West and opened in 2019.
In 2022, it was able to return to full capacity after the COVID-19 pandemic, and around 1,000 visits are said to be made each month to the site.
"This speaks not only to the services, but also the relationships, the trust, and the care that's provided," Umanetz said. "People don't go somewhere that doesn't meet their needs."
Umanetz added that clients who go to the CTS site say it is one of the only places where they are treated 'like humans.'
Additionally, around 900 overdoses have been managed and reversed since the site first opened in 2019.
"That number is staggering to consider in terms of the lives we could have lost," said Umanetz.
The site is currently open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the year including holidays. However, Umanetz noted that the number one request from clients is for the hours to be extended further.
"The reality is substance use is a 24/7 thing, not everyone works within those hours," she said. "So, the number one request that we receive from clients is expand your hours. Make it available when I'm using my substances, I want to use them safely."
Several councillors praised the work being done at the site and encouraged staff to continue their efforts.
