Grant: Project Grant - PA: Pandemic Preparedness and Health Emergencies Research

Manitoba is in the midst of a serious public health crisis caused by drug poisonings (overdoses). Since before the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of deaths linked to substances like fentanyl, other opioids, and methamphetamine has been rising. In 2023 alone, 568 people in Manitoba died from substance-related causes-an average of more than one and a half deaths per day. These harms are not felt equally. Indigenous communities are especially affected due to the ongoing impacts of colonialism, racism, and barriers to care. In response, Manitoba's first safer consumption site (SCS) will be launched in 2026, led by the Aboriginal Health and Wellness Centre (AHWC) in Winnipeg's inner city. This will be Canada's first and only Indigenous-led SCS. It will provide a safe space where people can use substances under supervision, with access to health services, treatment referrals, housing support, and family services-all in one place. To help ensure this important initiative succeeds, AHWC has partnered with researchers at the University of Manitoba to co-develop a research program that is Indigenous-led, community-driven, and respectful of cultural knowledge and lived experience. The goal is to understand the impact of the SCS on people who use substances, and on the broader community, in ways that matter to AHWC and the people they serve. This project will look at how people use the SCS and other health services, what culturally meaningful healing looks like, and what changes over time as the SCS becomes part of Winnipeg's care landscape. A team of Elders, community partners, and people with lived and living experience will help guide the research. The findings will support AHWC in creating services that are grounded in Indigenous values, improve health outcomes, and help build long-term solutions to the drug poisoning crisis.