Toronto, Ontario
The Neighbourhood Group – Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site
Extending Hours and Addressing Increased Operating Costs
Requested amount: $90,499
The Challenge
In April 2025, the Ontario Government’s Community Care and Recovery Act forced the closure of nine safe consumption sites despite evidence-based research of their efficacy in saving lives and keeping communities safe. As a result, usage of TNG’s Kensington Market Overdose Prevention Site (KMOPS) doubled. More recently, the Government of Ontario announced it would end funding for any remaining supervised consumption sites by June 13th, 2026. As the remaining sites are forced to close due to these funding cuts, TNG expects the number of visits to rise sharply after June 13th.
The Approach
TNG would like to continue operating the KMOPS, which has trained staff and peer workers on hand to respond to overdoses, provide harm reduction education and supplies, and connect people to healthcare, counselling and other essential services. Additional funding would cover their rising operating costs and enable them to expand their hours of operation by an additional 18 hours per week to meet the needs of clients who would otherwise be left waiting.
What Success Looks Like
Success means meeting people where they are, keeping them safe and providing a connection to care.
- Number of visits to KMOPS
- Number of overdoses responded to
- Amount of harm reduction supplies and education distributed
- Number of participants connected to services addressing immediate needs: food, shower, laundry, primary and mental health care
- Number of participants connected to services to support longer-term goals: treatment, housing, employment
Project Timeline
TNG could hire the staffing required to accommodate increased hours of operation in less than one month. They would like to test these expanded hours over six months.
Funding Need
$90,499 to cover increased operating costs and expanded hours over six months.
Note: TNG relies on private funding for the ongoing operations of the KMOPS, and can put any additional money raised towards core site funding.
Budget available upon request.
If you’d like to support or reach out with any questions about this project, please contact:
Laina Gibson, Vice President, Philanthropy and Communications
Laina.gibson@tngcs.org
647.458.1649