Ashley Legere is the only person from Sackville who attended the “Getting to Tomorrow” conference earlier this month on the overdose crisis in Canada.
Legere has spoken with CHMA before to talk about the harm reduction program she started at the Corner Drug Store, where she formerly worked as a pharmacy assistant. Since then, Legere has accepted a new position with Ensemble Moncton as a part of their needle distribution services.
Legere says that opioids containing dangerous amounts of fentanyl are present in Sackville.
"There is no safe supply and you don’t know what you’re getting. But you can only get what you get. They’ll test it for fentanyl, make sure they’re using with someone else with a NARCAN kit, and still use it."
COVID-19 is putting the already marginalized population of opioid users at further risk.
Many drug users she provides safe injection kits to are sex workers, whose clients are mostly long-haul transport drivers who do not have to isolate.
Accessibility to existing services is an issue in rural areas, and Sackville is not exempt.
"If you don’t have access to things like toilet paper and toothbrushes, how are you going to pay for an iPhone that your [social] worker requires you to FaceTime with them to see. These are these are all kinds of issues that are well above above like… these are requirements that are well above the socioeconomic status of the people that they’re trying to help," Legere says.
During the “Getting to Tomorrow” conference, Sackville’s lack of emergency shelter was addressed.
Legere wonders if Sackville’s pre-existing infrastructure could be repurposed for emergency housing.
"The only idea I came up with is repurposing existing infrastructure. And then I thought, well, why not hospital? Why not places like a sort of government building that’s not being used, especially during a pandemic, where every employee’s working from home. How that looks, or how that gets started, or how I would work on that to make that a reality is above my paygrade for sure."
Legere's comments are available here:
CHMA will reconnect with Legere next week to discuss an upcoming project involving Ensemble Moncton.
The CHIMO helpline is available 24/7 at 1-800-667-5005.