Kingston City Council pressures the Integrated Care Hub (ICH) to enhance safety measures following reopening.
Partners at the Integrated Care Hub (ICH) have been diligently preparing for reopening, which has involved thorough cleaning, pest remediation, and planning for site access. The Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site, operated by Kingston Community Health Centres (KCHC) at 661 Montreal St. resumed its regular schedule on Oct. 17 after closing on Sept. 12. This decision followed a series of violent attacks in the area that led to the closure of Belle Park for an “undetermined period” in order to clear up an encampment near the City’s ICH, CBC reports.
READ MORE: Montreal Street stabbing leaves two dead and one seriously injured, confirms Kingston Police
Joe Quattrocchi, owner of Quattrocchi’s Specialty Foods—a market located directly across from the ICH—expressed his dissatisfaction with the ICH, citing incidents such as physical break-ins, thefts, broken windows, and, in one particularly alarming case, a knife was pulled on their cashier. As a result, the store increased security measures, including installing dual camera systems and taking other security measures to prevent similar incidents from happening.
“I them getting help, but this isn’t working, and it should be discontinued and moved to some other location where the people can get the help they need and get the training they need to redevelop their lives, not just become dependent on other people to care for them forever,” Quattrocchi said in an interview with The Journal.
During a visit by The Journal to the ICH, individuals declined to speak about their experiences within the Hub.
While the CTS component will provide essential, life-saving services for individuals who use substances, other services at the ICH—including drop-in and rest zones, counselling, meals, showers, harm reduction supplies, education, and drug poisoning prevention, including Naloxone distribution—will remain closed and resume on-site at a later date.
“The CTS component provides essential lifesaving and life-changing services for individuals who use substances. These evidence-based services, which include consumption and post-consumption care according to the Ministry of Health policies, as well as primary care services are not only proven to reduce harm, but also improve health outcomes,” the ICH said in a press release.
Although the ICH has resumed partial operations, former residents of the Belle Park encampment are still unable to return.
According to Federal government data, between March 2020 and April 2024, the ICH logged 35,159 visits from 3,791 individual clients. During that time, 574 non-fatal overdoses were reported, along with 46,467 referrals. Federally regulated supervised consumption sites provide a safe space for individuals to use their own illicit drugs, with trained staff on hand to monitor use and respond to potential overdoses.
In four 2024 peer-reviewed articles, the Ontario HIV Treatment Network noted all four studies found positive effects from supervised consumption sites for people who use drugs. These benefits include a reduction in overdose deaths, less improper syringe disposal in public areas, decreased public drug use, and increased access to addiction treatment and other healthcare and social services.
The Ontario HIV Treatment Network reported that, “supervised injection facilities provided an important health service to prevent infectious diseases among people who inject drugs.”
Despite research ing the benefits of supervised consumption services, Kingston remains unsettled by the incident that led to the closure of Belle Park and the ICH. At a City Council Meeting on Oct. 15, Councillor Greg Ridge proposed the ICH must create a detailed security and safety plan, along with ongoing community consultation, to continue receiving funding from the city.
“This is not to impugn the security that’s already been implemented at the ICH, but merely to say that we need to recognize that what has been going on there is insufficient and needs to be improved and there needs to be a plan,” Ridge told council.
“Let’s be clear about what this motion is not, this motion isn’t about punishing the ICH. This is not about punishing staff. This is not about punishing people using their services. This is about trying to help everybody, and we need to look at the bigger picture and see what we can do to help everyone,” Ridge said.
Council were informed the City has no authority over the future operations of the ICH, as the decision to reopen or keep it closed lies with the province. In response to Ridge’s motion, the ICH released a statement detailing their financial budget and operations that keep the site open for its s. The ICH emphasized the motions presented align with its mission of collaboration and safety.
Key services at the ICH include drop-in and rest zones, counselling, meals, showers, harm reduction supplies, education, and drug poisoning prevention, including Naloxone distribution.
According to the ICH release statement, the annual operating funding for ICH programs comes from multiple sources: 76 per cent from the Ministry of Health via Ontario Health, 16 per cent from the City of Kingston, $500,000 and eight per cent from the United Way of Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) for 2024-25. The City of Kingston’s funding specifically s the Rest Zone component of ICH operations.
The CTS site, operated by KCHC, has secured permanent funding from the Ministry of Health, distinct from other ICH programs. CTS collaborates with Street Health, also part of KCHC, to provide access to primary care, Rapid Access to Addiction Medicine, disease prevention, and treatment referrals.
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