February 16, 2026

Niagara Reproductive Justice is gravely concerned about the proposed relocation of the Beyond Montessori School that would force the closure of Positive Living Niagara’s Consumption & Treatment Services (CTS) site in St. Catharines. The CTS has been operating since 2019 and has saved over 1,500 lives. Current provincial legislation states that a CTS cannot be within 200 metres of schools, and site-specific provincial and federal permits prevent the CTS from being able to relocate. 

The St. Catharines CTS is a vital community service that not only prevents and reverses overdoses, thereby saving thousands of lives, but also provides clients with connections to treatment, housing, and social services. As other CTS sites throughout Ontario have been forced to close, these communities have seen an increase in preventable overdose deaths and an increased reliance on the emergency response system which is ill-equipped to handle this crisis. 

At Niagara Reproductive Justice we directly see the impact that the CTS makes in clients’ ability to access healthcare and referrals. People who use substances and become pregnant are at a higher risk of overdose death and it is essential that clients are able to access timely reproductive healthcare of their choosing. The staff and community at the CTS have assisted with this on numerous occasions. Without the presence of a judgement-free, caring community space such as the CTS, many of our clients would have faced life threatening situations.

Our community members who use drugs deserve respect. They deserve a space where they can access the services they need without judgement or fear. We are in solidarity with our community members who rely on the CTS and the staff who run it. We ask that all Niagara residents educate themselves on the importance of the Positive Living Niagara CTS and contact their local officials, neighbors, coworkers, family, and friends to ask them to reject the closure of the CTS. You can read Positive Living Niagara’s statement here: bit.ly/plnstatement