Prairie Harm Reduction executive director Jason Mercredi stands in front of the safe consumption site on Aug. 19, 2020. (Brady Lang/650 CKOM)

By Brady Lang

Saskatchewan’s first safe consumption site set to open

Oct 1, 2020 | 11:32 AM

Saskatchewan’s first safe consumption site is set to open at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The facility is operated by Prairie Harm Reduction, which is the new name of AIDS Saskatoon. The consumption site will offer a variety of services to the community, according to Executive Director Jason Mercredi.

“So, we have outreach programming, we have support services programming. A family support program where we work to keep people’s kids safe, who may be dealing with some substance issues. We have education, a drop-in centre and then we have naloxone trainers that go out into the community and train people up and distribute naloxone kits,” Mercredi explained in an interview with 650 CKOM on Sept. 23.

The consumption site was not funded through the provincial budget cycle in 2020. Instead, it’s opening through community-based funding, including a clothing line that Mercredi said sold out quickly when launched.

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The community-based funding was focused on paying the salary of a paramedic, who was hired and trained in September.

The consumption site is located on the 1500 block of 20th Street in Saskatoon, just a few doors down from St. Paul’s Hospital. It will be open Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.