Legal Action Against Bill 223 - Media Coverage

Legal Action Against Bill 223 - Media Coverage

 

Coverage when the Charter Challenge was announced

• ​Legal action against supervised consumption site legislation (CP24): https://www.cp24.com/video/2024/12/10/legal-action-against-supervised-consumption-site-legislation/

• Toronto supervised drug-use site operator files legal challenge against Ontario over site closings (The Globe and Mail) https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-group-launches-legal-challenge-to-ontario-closing-supervised-drug-use/

• Ford government’s supervised consumption site law violates charter, Toronto group claims in lawsuit (Toronto Star): https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ford-governments-supervised-consumption-site-law-violates-charter-toronto-group-claims-in-lawsuit/article_b0f0ce4a-b70b-11ef-8e1f-9feba49f6b79.html

• Ontario's supervised consumption site law violates Charter, group says in legal challenge (CBC News): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-supervised-drug-consumption-sites-legal-challenge-1.7406760

• Ontario’s Unconscionable Supervised Consumption Sites Shutdown (Filter):
  https://filtermag.org/ontarios-unconscionable-supervised-consumption-sites-shutdown/

• Ontario’s Supervised Consumption Site Law Violates Charter (AM 800 Windsor – CKLW on iHeart): https://www.iheart.com/podcast/962-the-shift-with-patty-handy-100700683/episode/ontarios-supervised-consumption-site-law-violates-247773495/

• Toronto health board votes to intervene in supervised consumption site legal challenge against province (CBC News) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-public-health-report-supervised-ocnsumption-sites-1.7435932

• Ontario hired private investigators to surveil safe consumption sites - here's what they reported (Toronto Star) https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ontario-hired-private-investigators-to-surveil-safe-consumption-sites-heres-what-they-reported/article_f7659170-e3f8-11ef-8278-778b47974e58.html#tncms-source=login

• Drug inhalalation once on shortlist to fix supervised consumption sites in Ontario: docs (Global): https://globalnews.ca/news/11089183/ontario-supervised-drug-inhalation/

• Supervised consumption centre takes Ford government to court over law forcing 10 sites to close (CBC News): https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/charter-challenge-hearing-ontario-drug-consumption-site-law-1.7491438

• Toronto supervised consumption site challenging Ontario law that will close 10 sites (CityNews): https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/03/24/toronto-supervised-consumption-sites-locations-province/

On January 13, 2025, former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne, former Toronto mayors John Sewell, David Crombie and Barbara Hall, and Toronto city councillor Chris Moise held a public forum in support of supervised consumption sites. 

• Closure of supervised consumption sites could become Ontario election issue, former mayor says (CBC News): 
  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/drug-consumption-sites-community-meeting-1.7430373

• Former Toronto mayor John Sewell discusses efforts to save supervised consumption sites (CP24): https://www.cp24.com/video/2025/01/14/former-toronto-mayor-john-sewell-discusses-efforts-to-save-supervised-consumption-sites/

On February 20, 2025, former mayor John Sewell and former Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, wrote an op-ed about the success of supervised consumption sites: https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/no-failed-experiment-here-supervised-consumption-sites-save-lives-in-ontario-and-beyond/?lang=en

On March 24 and 25, 2025, the Challenge was heard before the court. The following articles were published around that time. 

• They say controversial supervised consumption sites helped them in more ways than one. They fear what will happen when they close (Toronto Star) https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/they-say-controversial-supervised-consumption-sites-helped-them-in-more-ways-than-one-they-fear/article_cdbcc636-f9dd-11ef-a605-dbf15d56e45e.html

• Uncertainty looms around treatment hubs promised by Ford government to replace supervised consumption sites (Toronto Star) https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/uncertainty-looms-around-treatment-hubs-promised-by-ford-government-to-replace-supervised-consumption-sites/article_6c28780e-0106-11f0-8270-a79364101835.html

• Court hears Ontario consumption sites free to relocate contrary to past statements (Canadian Press - story picked up by Ottawa Sun and many other media) https://ottawasun.com/news/provincial/court-hears-ontario-consumption-sites-free-to-relocate-contrary-to-past-statements

• Advocates argue people will die without consumption sites in Charter challenge (The Trillium) https://www.thetrillium.ca/municipalities-newsletter/advocates-argue-people-will-die-without-consumption-sites-in-charter-challenge-of-closures-10436328

• Toronto supervised consumption site challenging Ontario law that will close Brampton site (INSAUGUA - story picked up from the Canadian Press) https://www.insauga.com/toronto-supervised-consumption-site-challenging-ontario-law-that-will-close-brampton-site/

• Future of supervised consumption sites to be decided in court this week (Sudbury.com) https://www.sudbury.com/beyond-local/future-of-supervised-consumption-sites-decided-court-next-week-10418930

• Ontario court to hear Charter challenge on supervised consumption site law (The Briefing) https://www.qpbriefing.com/news/ontario-court-to-hear-charter-challenge-on-supervised-consumption-site-law

• Toronto supervised consumption site challenging Ontario law that will close 10 sites (CityNews) https://toronto.citynews.ca/2025/03/24/toronto-supervised-consumption-sites-locations-province/

• Ontario court to hear challenge against law shutting down Toronto's supervised consumption sites (Ground News) https://ground.news/article/ontario-court-to-hear-charter-challenge-on-supervised-consumption-site-law

• Ontario consumption sites free to relocate, court hears, contrary to past statements (CHCH) https://www.chch.com/chch-news/ontario-consumption-sites-free-to-relocate-court-hears-contrary-to-past-statements/

• Toronto court hears legal fight to halt closure of 10 supervised drug use sites (Law Times) https://www.lawtimesnews.com/business-news/toronto-court-hears-legal-fight-to-halt-closure-of-10-supervised-drug-use-sites/391840?utm_campaign=Editorial-LT-NS&utm_content=328329652&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&hss_channel=tw-31468903

• Supervised consumption centre takes Ford government to court over law forcing 10 sites to close (CBC) https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/charter-challenge-hearing-ontario-drug-consumption-site-law-1.7491438

• Toronto supervised consumption site challenging Ontario law that will close 10 sites (Barrie 360) https://barrie360.com/charter-challenge-supervised-consumption-site-law/

• Advocates seek injunction to halt supervised consumption site closures (Village Report) https://www.villagereport.ca/village-picks/advocates-injunction-halt-supervised-consumption-site-closures-10422424?utm_source=Villager&utm_campaign=Content&utm_medium=Twitter

• Lawyers present arguments to keep Ontario supervised consumption site open (Global News) https://globalnews.ca/video/11096096/lawyers-present-arguments-to-keep-ontario-supervised-consumption-site-open/

• Last-Ditch Court Bid Aims to Block Ontario Consumption Sites Shutdown (Filter) https://filtermag.org/ontario-drug-consumption-sites-shutdown-court/

• Fermeture de sites de consommation supervisée : début des audiences le 23 mars (Quebec Nouvelles) https://quebecnouvelles.com/fermeture-de-sites-de-consommation-supervisee-debut-des-audiences-le-23-mars-921949.html

• Canadian Drug Policy Coalition provides update on charter challenge (City News) https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2025/03/20/canadian-drug-policy-coalition-provides-update-on-charter-challenge/

• It is ‘impossible’ to move supervised consumption sites under Ont. rules: advocates (Global News) https://globalnews.ca/news/11099458/ontario-supervised-consumption-site-case-impossible-move/

• Ontario shifting to abstinence based recovery model for users (CP24) https://www.cp24.com/video/2025/03/26/ontario-shifting-to-abstinence-based-recovery-model-for-users/

 
Coverage after the Injunction was announced.

• Supervised drug consumption sites win injunction, can stay open for now amid Charter challenge (CBC News) https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.7496602

• Judge grants injunction to keep 10 safe injection sites open for 30 days (CP24) https://www.cp24.com/video/2025/03/28/judge-grants-injunction-to-keep-10-safe-injection-sites-open-for-30-days/ -use sites (Globe and Mail) https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-judge-temporarily-blocks-shutdown-of-10-ontario-drug/

• Ontario supervised consumption sites can remain open as judge grants reprieve, citing significant harm of closures (Toronto Star) https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ontario-supervised-consumption-sites-can-remain-open-as-judge-grants-reprieve-citing-significant-harm-of/article_e6593668-5e3f-4f4f-be2b-c9cd8a6a6964.html

• Ontario judge grants injunction to keep consumption sites open for now (CTV news) https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/local/article/ontario-judge-grants-injunction-to-keep-consumption-sites-open-for-now/

• Dépendances : neuf sitescontraints de fermer sansprise en charge des usagers (ONFR) https://onfr.tfo.org/dependances-neuf-sites-contraints-de-fermer-sans-prise-en-charge-des-usagers/

• Ontario judge’s injunction keeps drug consumption sites open near schools amid Charter fight (Rebel News) https://www.rebelnews.com/ontario_judge_s_injunction_keeps_drug_consumption_sites_open_near_schools_amid_charter_fight

• Nine supervised drug consumption sites to close despite injunction, minister says (Ottaw Sun - from the Canadian Press) https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/nine-ontario-supervised-drug-consumption-sites-to-close-despite-injunction-minister-says

• The Last Days of Kitchener’s Supervised Drug-Use Site: A Safe Haven on the Brink of Closure (Maldankon) https://maldankon.cloud/en_CA/page/the-last-days-of-kitcheners-supervised-drug-use-site-a-safe-haven-on-the-brink-of-closure-cf3cea

• Court grants injunction in supervised consumption site case (Timmins Today) https://www.timminstoday.com/local-news/breaking-court-grants-injunction-in-supervised-consumption-site-case-10451699

• Ontario judge seeking clarity on facts in supervised consumption site legal challenge (Not Local) https://www.notllocal.com/ontario-news/ontario-judge-seeking-clarity-on-facts-in-supervised-consumption-site-legal-challenge-10486029

• Library Workers for Supervised Consumption Sites  (Spring) https://springmag.ca/library-workers-for-supervised-consumption-sites

 

back to "The Neighbourhood Group Community Services Files Charter Challenge Against Community Care and Recovery Act" news item