Kingston declared an addictions crisis 1 year ago. The city's mayor says it's still an emergency

More than a year after Kingston, Ont., declared a mental health and addictions crisis, the city's mayor says it continues to face an emergency — and it isn't alone.

"I think we're still in crisis. I think that communities across the province are in crisis, I don't think you could describe it any other way," said Bryan Paterson.

"Things aren't getting better. They're getting worse."

His comments come days after nearby Belleville made a similar declaration, initiating a state of emergency in response to 23 overdoses between Tuesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

That community's addiction, mental health and homelessness emergency came with a call for $2 million in provincial funding to set up a hub to provide vulnerable residents with support, and a request for investment in a local detox centre.

"We need a plan from the provincial government," Belleville Mayor Neil Ellis said at the time. "We need funds, resources ... to get in front of this."

Kingston made a similar plea to the province during a council meeting on Jan. 10, 2023. A year later, the city's experience serves to underline the challenges facing Belleville and other municipalities across Ontario that are grappling with the dangers of a toxic drug supply.

Drug supply becoming 'more dangerous'

Justine McIsaac works on the front line of that crisis. She runs Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS), Kingston's supervised injection site.

During the week before Belleville saw its surge in overdoses, McIsaac said staff at her site responded to roughly 30 suspected drug poisonings.

She said the "scary behaviours" included plummeting blood pressure and hallucinations, which raise safety concerns for both those consuming and the public.

"The reality is, people are cutting in very dangerous cuts and fillers that are somewhat mimicking the desired effects that people are looking for, say when they choose to use fentanyl, but it's keeping them sedated for so long," she explained.

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Justine McIsaac is the consumption treatment co-ordinator at Kingston's Integrated Care Hub. She says staff there have seen a surge in suspected drug poisonings. (Michelle Allan / CBC)

Ontario's drug supply is becoming "more and more dangerous," according to McIsaac, who said solutions must come from all three levels of government and focus on recovery.

"These are the people that we love and care about, whose lives are already filled with chaos and struggles and pain," she said. "Now they're being victimized over and over again by toxic drug supply."

When Kingston councillors voted unanimously to declare a crisis last year, it came with a call for the province to immediately invest in treatment and rehabilitation services in the city.

It also included a request for a province-led emergency working group that would partner with community organizations to find long-term solutions for Kingston's vulnerable population.

Inaction not an option: Mayor

Paterson said the declaration was part of a provincewide pressure campaign including other communities facing similar struggles.

Ontario's government did boost homelessness and mental health funding, and the mayor said that money went toward shelter spaces, street outreach services and supportive housing locally.

However, Paterson said the problem remains "so big" that one investment wasn't enough to "move the needle."

Asked about government support for Kingston, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health sent an email saying its invested $525 million into addiction treatment and supports, including mobile crisis teams and short term accommodations that include access to addictions specialists.

A Belleville police cruiser is seen near Bridge Street United Church on Feb. 7, 2024, after a sudden surge in overdoses in the area the day before. (Dan Taekema/CBC)

The province's budget also includes a five per cent increase in base funding for community-based mental health and addictions organizations, the statement added.

Paterson said he and other members of the Ontario Big City Mayors caucus are calling for more investment in supportive housing, along with treatment and detox beds to cut down on current waitlists and provide urgent assistance.

"I don't think that not acting is an option," Kingston's mayor said, adding that given the scale of what communities are facing, something must be done. "I'm hopeful that we will see some more action."