Two expressions of interest for a new safe injection site in Windsor-Essex have yielded zero results.
A notice first sent out by the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in late August didn't drum up any interest and second sent out earlier this month came and went without any takers.
The site is part of the health unit's Community Opioid and Substance Strategy.
After two failed attempts to find a property owner willing to take part, CEO Theresa Marentette says they'll have to figure out their next move.
"We'll be reconvening our stakeholder group to determine how to proceed," she says. "The site selection, as we've indicated, is important to move forward."
Marentette says a site needs to be identified soon because there's a lot of work still to be done before it's approved.
"Inspections pertaining to the site, a risk assessment, consultation with the public and then also further approval by our board and the municipality regarding the location," she says.
Marentette says the health unit has consulted with its legal department to see if a municipal partner would be allowed to put a site forward.
"Based on that feedback, we'll reconvene our stake holder group again and move forward," she says. "We expect that the next step may be to reach out to potential partners."
Marentette adds the COVID-19 pandemic has made the process a challenge and will make the public consultation process difficult as well.
The facility will offer a safe place to consume substances, but will also offer counselling, opioid-dependency treatments and other services to help break the cycle of addiction.