{"id":18499,"date":"2018-10-01T12:04:14","date_gmt":"2018-10-01T16:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/?p=18499"},"modified":"2018-10-01T12:04:14","modified_gmt":"2018-10-01T16:04:14","slug":"1265-crosses-planted-at-queens-park-to-push-province-to-end-freeze-on-life-saving-overdose-prevention-sites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mileniostadium.com\/local\/gta\/1265-crosses-planted-at-queens-park-to-push-province-to-end-freeze-on-life-saving-overdose-prevention-sites\/","title":{"rendered":"1,265 crosses planted at Queen\u2019s Park to push province to end freeze on \u2018life-saving\u2019 overdose prevention sites"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Queen\u2019s Park lawn was staked with 1,265 wooden crosses on Monday, representing the people in Ontario who died due to drug overdose last year.<\/p>\n
The vigil, hosted by the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society (TOPS), comes two days after the\u00a0province asked the federal government\u00a0<\/a>for an extension as it assesses the future of safe injection sites.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWe have come to remind the government of what is at stake with their current \u2018review\u2019, and commemorate the much-loved members of our community that we have lost,\u201d TOPS said in a release.<\/p>\n \u201cMedical and public health experts, as well as everyday Ontarians across the province have been calling on the government to stop this waiting game and confirm that they will allow these life-saving services to remain open,\u201d TOPS said in the release.<\/p>\n According to Health Canada,\u00a01,265 Ontarians died of an apparent opioid-related death in 2017<\/a>. In the first three months of 2018, there were 317 such deaths in the province, also according to Health Canada.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n