'Kids are going to die,' former Sudbury Action Centre for Youth clients mourn its closure

A former client at the Sudbury Action Centre for Youth (SACY) says young people will die due to its permanent closure on Monday, March 18.

SACY provided several harm reduction and support services for vulnerable people in the community, including the city's only drop-in shelter specifically for youth.

"Honestly, like, I've been telling all of my friends and family that kids are going to die because of it; because they have nowhere that they feel safe to go now," said Marissa Jacqueline.

Jacqueline struggles with anxiety and depression, and first started going to SACY when she was 18, where she was connected with a therapist.

"It was such a supportive environment," she said.

"We were all like an actual community and a family. The staff members actually worked together and they all actually cared about the clients."

Jacqueline never had to use the overnight shelter, but she had many friends who did.

She said one friend who stayed at SACY's shelter for a short time would not feel safe staying the night at the city's other shelters, where there are also adults.

"He would never stay with adults because it was just a scariest experience for him, just being around all those people," Jacqueline said. "You can't trust anybody."

The day SACY closed its doors, due to financial insolvency, the city opened a temporary overnight warming centre for youth at the Samaritan Centre in downtown Sudbury.

A group called New Hope Outreach will run the warming centre until April 30. The city says that should allow time to find a more permanent solution.

But the warming centre, which can accommodate 10 people between the ages of 16 and 25, does not have any beds.

"There are chairs that people could kind of, you know, lay back in and have a little snooze," Gail Spencer, the city's manager of housing stability and homelessness. "It's at least a safe, warm place."

Mark Dennie, the Samaritan Centre's executive director, said four people stayed at the warming centre Tuesday night, but only two stayed there on Wednesday night.

"I don't know why they didn't return," he said.

Former SACY client Jay Fournier said he had some of the best moments of his life at the centre.

"SACY was like my second family and I spent every day there," he said. "Since I started accessing the services I met some of my best friends there."

After SACY closed, Fournier said he started to go to the YMCA's youth wellness hub, where young people can access free mental health and addiction services, primary care and skills and well-being activities.

"The YMCA, it's just not the same as SACY was," he said.

"SACY is more of a close-knit family. The YMCA is nice, I'm not gonna lie, but it's not the same."

Fournier said he's not optimistic there will be a replacement for SACYin the near future.