The Manitoba government has announced a $727,000 funding commitment to support the development of an Indigenous-led supervised consumption site in Winnipeg. The initiative is a partnership with the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre of Winnipeg (AHWC), as revealed by Housing, Addictions and Homelessness Minister Bernadette Smith at a recent community event.

The government is proud to support the establishment of the first Indigenous-led supervised consumption site, which will be connected to health and social supports, including addiction services. Smith emphasized the need for a service model grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, world views, and perspectives. The AHWC is well-positioned to ensure community needs are at the heart of this initiative.

The AHWC will lead the service design and delivery of the new site. A new coordinator with Shared Health will ensure service integration with the broader provincial mental health and addiction system.

Della Herrera, Executive Director of AHWC and a member of the Manitoba government’s Matriarch Circle, stressed the urgency of the situation. “Our Indigenous and non-Indigenous relatives continue to die from overdoses and the toxic drug supply, and we must do more,” said Herrera. “This solution is Indigenous-led and guided by people with lived and living experience, wherever they are on their journey.”

Herrera, Monica Cyr, Senior Director of Clinical Operations, and Charlene Hallett, Cultural Health and Integration Lead, are leading an addiction-to-treatment wraparound-care model for those who will access the site.

Dr. Erin Knight, Medical Lead, Rapid Access to Addiction Medicine (RAAM) for Shared Health, expressed excitement about working alongside the AHWC. “This space, as one part of a larger harm reduction strategy, will complement and integrate with treatment services to better support people who use drugs and contribute to a safer community for us all,” said Dr. Knight.

Supervised consumption sites typically include a reception area, consumption spaces, and post-consumption common areas. Staff are trained to respond to accidental overdoses and other emergencies and can refer to and support patrons in accessing health and social services.

The AHWC is Manitoba’s only urban-Indigenous community health agency. For more information about its programs and services, visit the AHWC website.

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