Tents were pitched in Moss Park by a group of harm reduction workers as a temporary supervised injection site in the face of what they are calling a public health emergency.
Zoe Dodd of the Toronto Harm Reduction Alliance tells CP24 "When you have 12 people who die over the course of five days, that is a public health emergency. We’ve been telling city officials and anyone who would listen that we’re in a crisis that has been escalating since last year — mounting deaths, happening in parks, people are just dropping."
Dodd says harm reduction workers have to take matters into their own hands now because the city's three approved injection sites will not be ready for months.
The group says there are naloxone kits in the tents to revive those experiencing a fentanyl overdose.
There was concern police would try and shut the site down Saturday, but after touring the area and some discussions Supt. Heinz Kuck said he would allow it to operate for at least one day.
"Although Toronto police do not totally agree with a site like this popping up, because we have the aspect of illegal drugs coming and going, the crisis supersedes that at this point and time." Kuck said.
"The one defining moment that convinced me to let this process take place was the absolute professionalism and the process they have put in place, with nurses on site, (Naloxone) on site, distribution articles on site."
Kuck said the ultimate decision in the end whether the site could continue running is up to Chief Mark Saunders and Mayor John Tory.
With files from CP24