The closure of Prairie Harm Reduction in Saskatoon has created significant gaps in community support, prompting the Saskatchewan NDP to urge the provincial government to rehire its 126 front-line workers. The facility ceased operations last week due to a major financial shortfall.
Service Employees International Union West representative Graham Mitchell stated that the closure will lead to preventable deaths and a loss of essential services like infant formula, diapers, and groceries for vulnerable families. He emphasized the need for stable, multi-year funding for community-based organizations.
Prairie Harm Reduction provided unique, no-fault support services, even for complex cases that other organizations declined. Rachelle Dauncey-Ripplinger, a former employee, expressed doubts that the gaps left by the closure will be adequately filled by reallocated provincial funds.
Meanwhile, Saskatoon is experiencing a surge in overdoses. The Saskatoon Fire Department responded to 157 overdose calls between April 1 and April 11, with about 30 percent occurring near the former Prairie Harm Reduction site. This highlights the urgent need for sustained funding for such vital community programs.