Some on Windsor City Council are raising serious questions about funding for the planned safe consumption site downtown. Others fear a delay opening its doors is in the offing.
"I want to know what I'm voting for," said Ward 6 Councillor Joanne Gignac seeking assurance taxpayers won't be stuck with the bill for operating the site until provincial funding comes through.
Her motion asked for a report back from administrators before budget deliberations start in April. The earliest councillors will receive it is at its next meeting.
The Windsor Essex County Health Unit hopes to have the site operating by the end of March. Once federal officials inspect it and give their okay, it can open its doors. However, the province's approval and funding may not come until July.
During a special health unit board of directors meeting on February 3, the health unit said it had enough money to operate the clinic until July. After that, it may ask municipalities for funding should the application take longer to process.
"Moving forward with this now and not having any kind of surety that the municipality is not going to have to foot the cost of this -- that's not here for me," said Gignac.
Others on the council, including Ward 2's Fabio Costante, fear any delay in opening the site will cost lives.
In 2021, 86 people in Windsor-Essex died of drug overdoses. The health unit projects that number to increase to 116 by 2026. It has repeatedly said the sooner the clinic opens, the better. It has already spent $775,000 preparing the Wyandotte Street East location.
"This is going to hurt the application," said Costante. "I think this is a really dangerous move forward."
Ultimately, the council approved Gignac's motion by a 6-5 vote.
Municipal approval of the site is a crucial piece of the health unit's application to the Ministry of Health. Last May, the previous council endorsed the site at 101 Wyandotte Street East.
Newly-elected Ward 3 Councillor Renaldo Agostino had planned to ask councillors to reconsider but withdrew his motion when the city reached a compromise with the health unit to find another location.
Under the agreement, the Wyandotte Street East location would open as planned while a new committee, headed by Agostino, finds a permanent home.
Councillors never voted on Agostino's motion, so council still, at least legally and procedurally, endorses the 101 Wyandotte Street East location.
