Michelle Steingart

🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙💜🤎🖤🩶

Canada updates travel advice to warn of U.S. border officers' power to search electronic devices | CBC News The federal government has quietly updated its online travel advice to remind Canadians to "expect scrutiny" from border patrol officers if they travel to the United States.

US border agents do have the authority to make you open a locked phone. They can confiscate and they can hold you until you are deported. Think twice before visiting. Better yet don't travel to the US.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Despite Court Win, Few Consumption Sites Saved From Ontario Shutdown After “five minutes of 'holy shit, we got an injunction,'” a Toronto advocate tells Filter, the reality of funding constraints set in.

filtermag.org/ontario-cons...

Do come out! It matters - a lot!

Tuesday April 8, 3pm, Regional Council Chambers, 150 Frederick St., Kitchener.
#YesToCTS in #waterlooregion #ONpoli #ONhealth #drugsky

Dozens bid farewell to Kitchener’s CTS site during special event Dozens of people gathered for an emotional sendoff for Kitchener’s supervised Consumption Treatment Service (CTS) site.

www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/ar...

They have blatantly ignored the science and research that shows CTS services save lives and keep our communities safer, reduce public consumption and needle litter in community. A sad day for staff, peers, and service users. 💔

This beautiful, welcoming, judgement-free space is closing today because the Provincial Government doesn’t value the lives of people who use drugs. Under the guise of being too close to a daycare, they pulled funding for these life saving programs and wrap around supports.

Statement regarding the Kitchener CTS and its upcoming closure:

Great news BUT the provincial government has pulled the funding for these sites. So, even though they can legally stay open, there is no money to operate. And Ford has made no indication that he will reinstate the funding

www.thestar.com/news/gta/ont...

This is definitely a positive outcome but the Provincial government has pulled the funding from these 10 CTS locations so even if they can legally stay open, there is no money to support their operations. #reinstatethefunding

Students who feel included and safe in their learning environment are more likely to achieve academic success. Banning an inclusive symbol, like the Pride flag, is unnecessarily cruel and demeaning for students and families who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. ‍🌈

Please read my letter to WCDSB.

This is just so wrong…

Agency: If there is a mass drug poisoning/overdose situation like what's been seen in many other cities, how will we keep people safe? How will we get the word out to people immediately?

[sound of crickets]

And on and on and on and on...

Person on Committee: I know my [family member] isn't ready to quit using drugs. They were using at the CTS. Am I supposed to go back to spending all of my time at work worrying that they're dead in my living room?

[sound of crickets]

Agency: We used to have so many overdoses behind our building that our staff were getting traumatized. People were quitting! How can I prevent that from happening again when the CTS closes?

[sound of crickets]

Agency: We used to have people using drugs in our bathrooms and we put up some posters telling them about the CTS and then the number of people using drugs in our bathroom sharply decreased. Where are we supposed to tell people to go now?

[sound of crickets]

Got my $200 Dofo election bribe. Choosing to donate it to a local harm reduction agency that I’m particularly fond of 😊🩷. Ford, you may not support harm reduction, but now you actually ARE. Love the irony. Here’s hoping there will be a new premier come Feb 27…

✅ 57% agree these programs save lives.
✅ 49% believe governments should expand them.
✅ 47% say they make communities safer.
Ontarians see harm reduction as life-saving and community-building.
#HarmReduction #OntarioHealth #CommunitySafety

📢 A new survey reveals 50% of Ontarians support harm reduction programs, compared to just 21% who oppose them. Let's keep working to make this even higher! loom.ly/ITjpmfY

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

So pretty ❄️

We’re watching this, too! Haven’t finished, yet, but really enjoying it. I assume you’ve seen Shrinking, too? It’s really good as well

CTS provides nursing care, counselling support, and access to services for those who are ready to work through their addiction. I worry about all of those who will be lost when the CTS closes. Where will they go? What will happen if they overdose? Doesn’t everyone deserve compassionate care? 💔

With the closure of CTS locations in Kitchener and Guelph, public spaces will become unsafe injection sites. Closing CTS doesn’t mean that folks will stop using drugs, it just means that they’ll be using in washrooms, alleys, parks…without the wraparound supports needed to keep them safe and alive.

I was thinking the same thing about Ford’s $200…

Me, too, kinda…

Love this…