NDP Demands Provincial Action to Rehire 126 Workers Following Sudden Closure of Prairie Harm Reduction
Saskatoon, April 2026 – The Saskatchewan NDP is calling on the provincial government to immediately rehire 126 employees who lost their jobs after the abrupt closure of Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) last week. The organization, which operated a supervised consumption site, a drop-in center, and multiple support programs on Saskatoon's 20th Street West, ceased all operations on April 9, 2026, leaving a significant void in community services.
Community Impact and Irreplaceable Services
Rachelle Dauncey-Ripplinger, a former family support worker at PHR, emphasized during an NDP-organized press conference that the organization's "niche" role will be exceptionally difficult to replace. "The question is, where are we going to go next now that PHR is gone, and who is going to take responsibility for what happens next?" she stated. "When programs like this disappear, the need does not go away; it only shifts, and it shows up in crisis, in the emergency room and on the streets."
Dauncey-Ripplinger detailed the extensive programs lost, including support workers with lived experience in substance abuse disorder, two youth homes, a drop-in center, family support services, and an education program covering Naloxone use, de-escalation techniques, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Between April 2025 and March 2026, the family support program alone supervised 35 to 40 families monthly, serving approximately 100 children.
Financial Collapse and Funding Withdrawal
The closure followed PHR's board announcement citing a substantial increase in service demand and a critical financial shortfall, which led to the removal of Executive Director Kayla DeMong on March 24. After PHR disclosed its financial struggles in late March, Health Canada suspended its exemption for legally operating the supervised consumption site. The Saskatchewan government, which has consistently opposed the site, subsequently withdrew all funding for other PHR programs.
Union and Political Response
Graham Mitchell, organizing director at SEIU-West, alongside NDP mental health and addictions critic Betty Nippi-Albright and labour critic Nathaniel Teed, urged the province to ensure stable funding for both workers and service users. "I don’t want to mince words here. Over 100 workers were laid off, 76 of those were our SEIU members. As a result of this, people are going to die," Mitchell warned, noting that PHR workers unionized in spring 2025.
Teed highlighted the irony of the situation, pointing to hundreds of healthcare job vacancies in Saskatoon. "The government should be able to find these healthcare workers somewhere to go," he asserted, placing the onus on provincial authorities to assist displaced employees.
Youth and Continuity Concerns
Additional concerns were raised about ten youth receiving services at PHR's homes, who must now secure new housing placements. The Ministry of Social Services has stated it is working to ensure continuity of care for these individuals, but advocates stress the disruption could have lasting effects.
The NDP's push for rehiring underscores broader issues in addiction support and public health funding, as stakeholders grapple with the fallout from PHR's shutdown and its impact on Saskatoon's most vulnerable populations.
