Health Committee on April 30th, 2026

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Dr. Reimer, you were quoted by the CBC in April 2019 as saying that drug consumption sites “certainly [reduce] risks of overdose, [connect] people to the system”. We've heard a lot that these consumption sites exist within a continuum of care, but I'm sure you know from your role that these sites often exist in places where recovery methods are not accessible at all, even though drugs are very available. I've been told that in my region, it would take two years for a recovery bed to open up to an addict who wanted to access it. In rural areas, this is what happens, as I'm sure you know.

Do you believe in the theory of consumption sites? Do you believe that they're really working if treatment centres, detox beds and mental health supports are not accessible for recovery, especially in rural areas?

[Joss Reimer]

Thank you for the question. It highlights the importance of looking at all aspects of our response to the toxic drug crisis.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Do you believe that drugs should be distributed in consumption sites if these supports are not available?

[Joss Reimer]

As a public health official, I would like to see investments in all aspects of care for people struggling with drug use.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Yes or no, do you believe that these consumption sites should be available if no supports are available, as in many rural areas?

[Joss Reimer]

It's important that we look at all aspects of the response to the opioid and other toxic drugs crisis at the same time and make sure that we have investments so that people have access to treatment, harm reduction and prevention.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Dr. Reimer, I ask this because as a British Columbian, I can say that in the last decade we've seen more drug consumption sites and more overdose deaths. You know that, of course, in your leadership position. Advocates for these sites deny that these two numbers are connected—more overdose deaths with more consumption sites. I appreciate that the deaths aren't happening on site, but they are happening, and more often than a decade ago.

As Canada's new public health officer and in your leadership position, do you see any correlation between more sites and more overdose deaths?

[Joss Reimer]

The overdose deaths are tragic for the families who are experiencing them and for everyone related to someone who has gone through that. One thing that's been encouraging—

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Dr. Reimer, you can carry on if you want. I will let you finish. I have stopped the watch.

[Joss Reimer]

Thank you.

One thing that's been encouraging is that we've recently seen a small decrease in overdose deaths across the country. While it is small, it is encouraging to see, for the first time in a while, the numbers moving in a good direction. We need to continue with a complex response to a complex problem.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Dr. Reimer, what should I tell the people in my communities, where people are dying of overdose deaths? What should I tell the people on the streets who are getting drugs off the street and want support but have no support? What should I tell them? In your new leadership position, what message do you want me to bring to them?

[Joss Reimer]

In my position, I look forward to working with Health Canada and working with the provinces and territories to improve access to treatment, prevention and harm reduction, because they are all critical in this response.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Dr. Reimer, would you table your reference binder?

[Joss Reimer]

Yes.

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

That would be fantastic. Thank you.

I'm going to cede the rest of my time to Dr. Strauss.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Dr. Strauss, please go ahead. You have a minute and six seconds.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Dr. Reimer, I want to return to Mr. Mazier's question, because I was honestly really surprised by your response.

Like you, I'm a physician. I have been a public health officer. If either a patient or a young person in my life asked me, “Is it inadvisable to inject illicit substances?”, I would have no hesitation in saying, “Yes, it's inadvisable because you could die, or you could get infective endocarditis.” I could say that with compassion. I would be worried about that person. If they feel that they might inject anyway, despite my advice, I'd urge them to get on methadone treatment or something like that.

Why do you not feel able to make that recommendation, with reference to our previous chat about building trust in public health institutions?

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Dr. Reimer, you have 20 seconds to respond.

[Joss Reimer]

I think the importance in my response is that it is a complex response, and I want to be able to provide in my response a more fulsome answer that includes the risks and benefits and how we can reduce harms.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

You have five seconds.

[Matt Strauss, Conservative, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

I was able to give my response. It took 20 seconds. I don't know why you couldn't, and I'm terribly curious to know what you think the benefits of injecting illicit fentanyl are.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Sukh Dhaliwal]

Thank you very much.

We will go to Dr. Jaczek for five minutes.

Please go ahead.

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Congratulations, Dr. Reimer, on your position.

Obviously, with your background, you have great experience for this particular position. I remember meeting you when you were president of the Canadian Medical Association. I'm sure you have contacts across the country, as well, as you assume this new role.

I'm going to go back to early 2020. I was a member of this committee when COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and we were very distressed to discover that the stockpile for pandemic preparedness had become obsolete. A number of items had expired.

Have you, in your new role, had the opportunity to check out that situation? We know we will face another pandemic at some future time, so what's being done in terms of pandemic preparedness, the stockpile, etc.?

[Joss Reimer]

The Public Health Agency of Canada learned a lot of lessons through the pandemic. When it comes to emergency preparedness, that is an area that is a high priority for the agency, and it's something I look forward to participating in.

For example, a lot of efforts have gone into the stockpile and into ensuring that we have access to medications and non-medical supplies and that they are kept up to date and monitored on an ongoing basis. I know that emergency preparedness plans have been created across the government, and the Public Health Agency of Canada has been part of that work as well.

I have had an opportunity to be briefed, just as an introduction to the work on our emergency stockpile, but I look forward to having an opportunity to delve a lot deeper in order to understand what supplies we have, where there may be gaps and what we can do better, making sure that we're working with our partners in the provinces and territories. I know that we had similar issues in the provinces and territories during the pandemic; some stockpiles had expired.

Making sure that we continually invest in preparedness is going to be very important for health security in Canada.

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

In terms of surveillance, as we potentially await the next pandemic, are you familiar with the ability across provinces and territories to gather the appropriate data from laboratories to know if we are suddenly facing incidents of a new virus? Have you been able to liaise with provinces and laboratories across the country to assure yourself that we are monitoring the situation here in Canada?