Report warns of rising overdoses in homes after Guelph CTS closure

A new report from Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy suggests changes may be emerging in how and where drug poisonings are happening in Guelph following the closure of the consumption and treatment services (CTS) site.

The report examines the first three months after the site closed and compares them with the same period the year before.

"The goal with this report was to understand the early impacts of the Guelph's consumption and treatment site closure," said Jean Hopkins, manager of Wellington Guelph Drug Strategy (WGDS).

The CTS sites in both Guelph and Kitchener closed at the end of March 2025 after the province passed Bill 223, prohibiting CTS sites from operating within 200 meters of a school or daycare.

The CTS site had provided supervised consumption and other support services. The site was transitioned into a Homeless and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, which also provides support for mental health and addictions but does not allow on-site drug use.

The report looks at local drug poisoning data from April to June 2025 and compares it with April to June 2024, when the site was still operating. Researchers also interviewed 19 people from 14 different organizations who work directly or indirectly with people who use substances downtown.

The report warns of a shift to higher risk use patterns, decreased access to harm-reduction services and increased pressure on outreach workers.

Shifts in where poisonings are happening

Downtown remained the neighbourhood with highest number of reported drug poisonings both before and after the closure. But Hopkins said early signs suggest incidents may be increasing in other parts of the city.

"These preliminary findings do show that there are increases in other areas across Guelph in early 2025," she said. "That's something we're monitoring really closely so that we can respond."

The Downtown-Sunny Acres neighbourhood accounted for 45 per cent of all drug poisonings in Guelph from April to June 2024, dropping to 19 per cent in the same period in 2025.

Onward Willow increased from four per cent in 2024 to seven per cent in 2025, while Waverley also rose from five to seven per cent.

Exhibition Park, which had the second highest number of drug poisonings in April to June 2024 at 12 per cent, represented just six per cent of all drug poisonings in the same period in 2025.

The report also points to a notable shift toward drug poisonings occurring in private residences and more secluded spaces. In 2024 private residences made up just 26 per cent of all drug poisonings, in 2025 it went up to 40 per cent.

"That's really important," Hopkins said. "It tells us that we might be seeing an increase in people who are using substances alone, where no one can intervene if there's an emergency."

The data also contradicts commonly held assumptions, she added.

"It challenges some of the narratives that substance use and drug poisonings predominantly impact people who are unhoused," she said.

Frontline workers feeling strain

Interviews with frontline workers revealed growing pressure on services in downtown Guelph and changes in the area since the site closed.

"Many observed an increase in the visibility of substance use," Hopkins said.

Some of the organizations interviewed include Guelph Public Library, Royal City Mission and Guelph Wellington Paramedic Service.

Hopkins says organizations consistently described the CTS as a "predictable, trusted place where people could build relationships with workers and explore options for accessing other health services."

"Without that in the community, we heard that there are challenges in connecting people to care and that there are sometimes breakdowns in trust," she said.

The report also highlights a sharp rise in discarded equipment. Data from the Welcoming Street Initiative, shows a 338 per cent increase in improperly disposed equipment in the three months following the closure, along with more pick up requests near downtown businesses.

Despite the report's findings, Hopkins says it's too early to understand the full impact of the closure.

"We can't make any concrete conclusions or any links to the CTS closure at this early stage," she said.

When researchers began comparing drug poisoning numbers from before and after the CTS closure, they found that the number drug poisonings had actually decreased. But since June 2025, it has increased.

"Beginning in July 2025, we saw a sharp and sustained increase of drug poisonings over the summer months in Guelph," she said. "And in fact, we saw record high numbers of drug poisonings in September."

Impact of Kitchener CTS site closure

Julie Kalbfleisch, director of strategy and engagement at Sanguen Health Centre in Kitchener, says they do not have any data on the closure's impact, but that it has changed how people access harm-reduction services.

"Since the closure of the consumption and treatment services site, our team has focused on ensuring that people who use drugs continue to have access to essential harm-reduction support," she said.

These include a needle-syringe program, primary care, wound care and basic needs support.

One big concern Kalbfleisch points out is Sanguen losing regular contact with people who relied on the CTS as "their only consistent point of connection."

"Prior to the closure, staff were able to check in with many people daily, monitor emerging health issues, and provide timely referrals," she said. "Since the closure, a number of those individuals have not been seen by any local services, which creates additional risks for their mental and physical health."

Kalbfleisch says that frontline workers are also noticing that it is harder to respond to overdoses since the closure. She says that CTS staff had a "controlled environment" to build trust with people using substances.

"In community settings, a response may be led by family, a friend or a staff member at a housing or drop-in location with basic training in overdose response," she said. "This makes the intervention more challenging and less effective for everyone involved. "

Kitchener and Guelph are not the only areas to see their CTS close.

In November, Toronto's last CTS outside the downtown core closed due to the province pulling its funding.

Growing need for more supports

The report calls for increased wraparound services, particularly for people facing multiple challenges.

"We heard that people require a continuum of supports that can meet them where they are," she said. "Often one service on its own isn't enough."

That includes increased mental-health care, housing supports and drug testing. The report also recommends expanding mobile outreach services by using data to guide where the supports are most needed.

A follow-up report is planned for 2026 to better understand long-term trends.