Dr. Jonny Grek

It’s National Addiction Awareness Week (NAAW).

I spent it speaking and engaging with the good folks of Couchiching & Rainy River First Nations, at a brilliant Addiction Summit. The voices of people in recovery were front and centre. They inspired us with their stories of survival, even when all the odds were stacked against them. They found a reason to believe that change was possible. They had faith.

Sadly though, we learned from the coroner that the problem with the drugs is so bad in Treaty 3 (especially the ‘south’ including Onigaming & Rainy River district) that the overdose death rates are now comparable with Downtown Eastside in Vancouver.

Pause on that for a moment. Close your eyes and take a couple of deep breaths, and let that sink in. As bad as downtown eastside. What???

We have to change these stats. We have to stop this madness NOW.

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There is good news, however, The good news is that if we listen to the people who have lived that life, they tell us exactly what we all need to hear to change this horrific situation. They tell us to listen to each other, to help ‘the system’ to understand, to drop our judgments of each other, to have faith in spirit, and to build safe homes and communities where people belong.

It really is time for this to change. What part will you play in that change?

I’ve been in Kenora for 5 years today. It’s also my last day at the Paterson Medical Centre.

Thank you 🙏🏽

Ps. This is a really emotional moment for me. This song does it justice 💜

Pps. I’m still working as a doctor! Stay tuned for what’s next.

Five Years - 2012 Remaster David Bowie · Song · 1972

I received the most satisfying feedback today - “Thank you for treating my son like a human being. He’s now in recovery, working, and doing awesome!’

That’s what it’s all about. ✌🏽

Just a quick post to say a big thank you to those who made me aware of today’s dose of slander against me.

I have some thoughts on slander, and here they are. Slander seems to be this tactic that might often result in some strong negative reactions within, and against the victim. Aside from its attempts to fan some flames against its target, much of its most hateful of outcomes are the feelings of sadness, loneliness, shame and powerlessness that it brings about in the victim. Worse still is the use of lies and false statements, as well as twisted & presumptive narratives.

Just really really mean, basically.

In my case, it’s one in a long line of examples of slander against me since I became a person of interest to the Kenora public.

I’ve been encouraged many times to take affirmative action. To ‘do something about it’.

It is my belief, however, that if:
- I don’t give it any power
- I work to try to educate the public on what respect looks like when discussing homelessness and addictions.
- and I offer a peaceful dove 🕊️ to any perpetrator, then we could all benefit. Every single one of us.

So, Kenora. I’m moving on from slander, and instead want to express some gratitude.

Thanks, as always, for the kindness that you (99%) show to me. Kenora is full of wonderful people. Once we learn to tune out the background noise of mean-ness, I think we can learn also to celebrate how bloomin’ amazing this place and its people really are.

I just got back from a trip home to the UK. First time in my family home in 5 years. It was brilliant. Marvellous even! And, even better, it made me appreciate Kenora as my home even more. Because it is my home! I am staying in Kenora. ⚡️

And, one day, through simple acts of kindness & love, many more of us will be able to feel respected in our own home - wherever that may be. I believe that 💜🦄🦁

Thank you to the Grade 12 Beaver Brae students, and the Kenora Seniors Coalition for our discussions regarding supervised consumption sites today.

After such respectful and enthusiastic debate today, on some of the most controversial subjects of our generation, I feel lighter and more hopeful than ever that we’re going in the right direction.

I sense that many people have many questions around harm reduction, prevention, treatment, and enforcement (aka the FOUR PILLARS), as it relates to substance use in Kenora. Especially regarding discarded needles, supervised consumption sites, the drugs, tiny homes, HIV, crime… Perhaps you experience some strong reactions to my opinion, and/or the opinions in social and print media….

I’d like to be able to respond to those questions or reactions, and offer any insights that I can. I plan to hold a Facebook Live series to spend time engaging with your questions and comments. I will pop it on YouTube and make it easily accessible for anyone looking for informed & locally relevant discussion.

Can you send me your questions, related to the above topics? Private message or comment below. I’ll try my best to answer them in a way that makes both question and answer available to as many people as possible. Let me know if you want your name/title credited for the question or if being anonymous is the preference. Also, don’t worry about foul language, bad grammar, or some strong emotions creeping into the question.

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Your question is always a good question to ask - so ask it. You might learn something from the discussion - and there’s no better way to get involved than letting your curiosity lead you. That is something we can all do to be part of the solution - educate ourselves and talk to each other about what we learn. Thank you to the different generations of Kenora residents who gave me that opportunity today!

🦄💜🦁

Hehe 🙃

Power to the people! We can build a safer community by working TOGETHER. Empowering the street people is in everyone’s best interests.

We know it’s true. My patients know it (on the street AND in the office). Organizations are starting to know it. This funding announcement for Thunder Bay shows that even the government knows it!

“We talked about the mental health crisis that we're experiencing here in the north … they (peer workers/the homeless) stop feeling that futility when they feel like they are part of a solution, and not just victims to the problems that exist in our community." - Holly Gauvin, Elevate NWO

How peer support workers are leading the way in preventing the spread of HIV in northern Ontario | CBC News As the federal government announces more funding to fight the spread of sexually transmitted and bloodborne infections, peer support workers in northern Ontario are at the front lines of the crisis. Here's one person's story of living with HIV and formerly being homeless, and what she does to suppor...

Hopefully this piece that I wrote for the paper will help people understand where I’m coming from… and going to.

🦄💜🦁

OPINION: I love someone who uses drugs Hi! It’s Dr. Jonny Grek here, and while it’s pretty unconventional for a local physician to directly address the public in this way, in recent months and…

How do you turn a duck into a soul singer?

Put it into the microwave until it’s Bill Withers.

Have a lovely day!

Lovely Day Bill Withers · Song · 1977

On this historic Coronation day, let us come together in honesty & truth, guided by the wisdom of this land and all of its people. We can learn to choose both ourselves and each other.

We can choose to defend what we believe in and what is right for our community, family, and self.

We can choose to show gratitude to our teachers - who help us to learn respect for self, for others, and for these lands.

We can learn to love, again.

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"As human beings, we suffer from an innate tendency to jump to conclusions; to judge people too quickly, and to pronounce them failures or heroes without due consideration of the actual facts and ideals of the period."

- King Charles III

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Thank you for all of the support that this community is choosing to show to one another. I am truly humbled by all of our gifts, and all that we can achieve when we come together in community.

Let's celebrate everything! We'll all be healthier that way.

Cheers, Dr. Jonny

🦄💜🦁

Benzos (benzodiazepines) in the illicit drug supply are proving a serious challenge - both to help people to come off opiates, and in reversing potentially fatal overdoses.

People can send a small sample of their drugs to get tested by post (snail mail) for free to:

https://getyourdrugstested.com

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Public Health Alert – Xylazine - NWHU
Published on 25 April 2023

There is an increased risk of overdose due to Xylazine and benzodiazepines being added to the unregulated drug supply.

Data from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario show that in opioid toxicity deaths:
Xylazine was detected in 2 – 4% of deaths between 2021 Q4 and 2022 Q3

Benzodiazepines were detected in 63% of deaths in 2021 and 41% of deaths in 2022

Xylazine is:
- Not approved for human use
- Typically used by veterinarians for pain relief, sedation, and muscle relaxation of large animals (referred to as horse tranquilizer)
- Benzodiazepines have been seen in the drug supply for some time in our area, however, NWHU has not received confirmatory reports of Xylazine in the NWHU catchment area.

Both Xylazine and benzodiazepine use can lead to symptoms similar to an opioid overdose, and they DO NOT respond to naloxone administration.
Risk of acute toxicity increases with the concurrent use of other depressants such as alcohol and/or opioids.

Messaging for patients:

Don’t use alone. Have someone with you, on the phone, or download and use the Lifeguard app.

If using with a friend, do not use at the same time.
Make sure the other person is OK before you use.

Carry naloxone and know how to use it – although not effective on xylazine or benzodiazepines, it is effective on opioids.

Call 911 with a suspected overdose. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection to the person calling.

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Get Your Drugs Tested Canada's only place to get street drugs checked seven days a week. Get your drugs analyzed and tested! Drug checking Canada. Fast free results.

Community is everything during this time of need 💜

Callie and Evan Joseph, organized by Tania Cameron Dear friends, hockey family and community members, With permission from their parents, Serena a… Tania Cameron needs your support for Callie and Evan Joseph

My heart breaks for the brave and courageous leader of WNHAC, and the whole community that is affected by this awful tragedy.

Has there ever been a more important time to come together in love and support for our friends, families, and colleagues?

Please - let’s drop our rivalries and hatred. We don’t need to behave badly to one another.

This community needs to heal from its traumas - through love and connection. Let us support each other. We are so much stronger together 💜

Eric Mellilo (MP) and I spent a whole afternoon on ‘how to solve a problem like Kenora’s downtown issues’.

It surprised me to discover that we are on the same page with almost everything that we discussed. There are overdose prevention sites (less focus on treatment for the clients, more to prevent overdose). There are supervised consumption sites (SCS; a full range of health and social services focussed on treatment and ideally a successful recovery journey; aswell as safe injection and smoking facilities).

If the SCS idea comes to life in Kenora, it should be a supervised consumption site - with round-the-clock treatment options.

We also agree on the potential benefits of a tiny home community for Kenora’s homeless population, as a short-term option to begin the recovery journey. We even dreamed about the possibilities of an SCS within the tiny home community. With paid work opportunities for the users’ of the facility.

I so enjoyed reaching across the imaginary political divide, to come together as allies. Because we are. We all are - we all* just want a safer, happier community, and for the downtown homeless problem to be resolved safely & compassionately. With appropriate accountability from all.




*well, almost all of us. I noticed that 2 individuals, commented on Eric's own social media post on the same meeting with: "Eric Melillo I've supported you for a long time. Standing with that drug pusher is a bad look"; and "There is a reason never to vote for you again. Stay away from the pill pusher". Is that known as defamation?

I’ve spent some time trying to determine if I should even re-enter the world of social media again. As you can see, I made the decision to create a Facebook account again this week.

One of the reasons that I was reluctant to go back on social media, was so that I wouldn’t have to hear my name spoken in places where I can’t defend my own name - in Kenora, that place is so often the Rant n Rave group.

Someone drew my attention this morning - 7am on a Sunday - to this post. I’m going to keep the author of that post anonymous - and if my response ends up in Rant n Rave, then so be it.

So, the original post - “So according to Mr. Grek, this is very necessary. Is he willing to stake his career on it, will he take a financial hit for it, will he leave the community for it, will Mr. Grek Guarantee all of this? Will he promise these results for us, that we will see no problems with this type of site? How sure is he? Please Mr. Grek we want Guarantees from you, not soft platitudes about this helping the community. Another question, if this is such a good idea why are some of the same people advocating for it so worried about where it will go! You keep telling us it is a good thing, a safe thing, a needed thing, and YET, where it is setup is a concern. Why should we believe you, why after implementing the needle program and saying it will reduce infections, provide safety etc… only to have that all fall apart and have Kenora see rising usage, rising infections, rising crime, rising problems everywhere. Well you talking heads, how come? I sometimes wonder what your round table discussions must reek of, the condescending views of us, the citizens who just pay for it all. Seriously how far down you’re noses do you look at us, heh, I can just imagine. Now that’s something I can guarantee you do.”

There’s a balance here in how I respond. I don’t want to appear high and mighty; I don’t want to ignore my privilege (more on that in a future post); and I don’t want to criticize someone’s opinion - this person has every right to share their opinion.

I also don’t want mistruths to go undefended, and I don’t want to be made out to be something I’m not.

1. “Is he willing to stake his career on it?” - no. Absolutely not. My priorities in life are to my family, to myself, and to my patients. Do I believe that I should use my privilege and professional experience to build equity in a healthcare system that is so unfavourably weighted against those in poverty? Yes. But I won’t risk my career for that.

2. “Will he take a financial hit for it?” - yes, I already am actually. I haven’t received a single cent in pay for any of my public remarks regarding SCS, PWUD, tiny homes, HIV. I also don’t receive a single dollar for any meeting that I attend where I am advocating for the needs of the homeless. Nobody pays me for this work, and I lose income from other sources (e.g. direct frontline care) every time that I prioritize this work. I am choosing to do this work because I know that it is right.

3. “Will he leave the community for it?” - I don’t think I understand this question, but maybe it relates to my long term plans for living in Kenora? Or that I’ll get driven out of town for my opinions/approach? Probably some clarity needed here. If I leave the community for anything, it’s because I will have hit my limit for how much backlash I can tolerate, for giving so much of myself to a cause that I believe so deeply in my heart is right. AKA - this kind of stuff.

4. “Will Mr. Grek guarantee all of this? Will he promise these results for us, that we will see no problems with this type of site? How sure is he?” - omg, no! I make no guarantees - ever!! It would be lovely to make some promises that we could actually keep. Truth is, we really have no idea how this will roll out. Kenora is super unique, and an SCS here is not a clear-cut winning formula. I think that’s why we’re even having this conversation in the first place - we will NEVER know if it’s the right solution for Kenora until if/when it happens. And even then, it’ll face criticism and misinformation. A good example might be the current social medial reels circulating around the BC’s drug decriminalization “fiasco”. It’s way too early to judge whether that has been successful or unsuccessful, and is totally dependent on whose metrics you are most drawn to. So, no - no guarantees from me.

5. “Please Mr. Grek we want Guarantees from you, not soft platitudes about this helping the community.” - agreed. Trying to find the balance between presenting some of the potential outcomes (good and bad) is a challenge, and I definitely stray into “soft platitude” territory more often than might be helpful. Thanks for that feedback.

6. “where it is setup is a concern” - the biggest concern. As with all real estate - LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION. How about embedded in a tiny home community, out of the downtown core, and with minimal neighbour disturbance? That would be an obvious location, in my opinion. For those that have also questioned if Mr Grek would want an SCS in his backyard - the answer would be “possibly”. I wouldn’t be thrilled about it, who would? Now that I live within 5 minutes walk of the downtown, it’s theoretically possible. I’ll have to think about that one more.

7. "Why should we believe you, why after implementing the needle program and saying it will reduce infections, provide safety etc… only to have that all fall apart and have Kenora see rising usage, rising infections, rising crime, rising problems everywhere.” - totally see your point here. The phrase “cause and effect” is probably valid. I was calling for more to be done about the emerging HIV crisis in March 2022, before it got to this state, and we were all too slow on the uptake. I personally regret that I didn’t advocate strongly enough at the time for that cause. The complexity of the situation is off the charts, and the needle exchange program is often the thing everyone wants to talk about. I’d like to pay attention to that - maybe the needle exchange approach isn’t adequate. Maybe we do need to consider a more Kenora-centric approach? It’s a good discussion to keep having as a community.

8. “I sometimes wonder what your round table discussions must reek of, the condescending views of us, the citizens who just pay for it all. Seriously how far down your noses do you look at us, heh, I can just imagine. Now that’s something I can guarantee you do.” - Forgive me for making this assumption, but it seems to me that you may be angry or frustrated, and understandably so. Quick reminder though - I pay taxes, I make a point to not look down my nose at anyone, I am a Canadian Citizen, and I live in Kenora. I don’t know how else to express it, so here goes: We are not really that different.

9. Referring to me as “Mr. Grek” - whether it’s intentional or not, I’ll often see this tactic being used to try to belittle someone’s professional status. I actually don’t mind what you call me - as anyone who has ever received clinical care from me knows. Here are some of the things that the residents of Kenora have called me: The English Guy, That English Doctor, Jonny, Dr Jonny, Mr Grek, Dr Grek, The Blockter, Dr Feelgood. I wonder if the person writing this post had intention to disregard professional status. I chose to express gratitude for that, as it allows me to come from outside of the professional vail and have an honest conversation between two human beings. Mr. Grek always reminds me of my father - one of my true heroes - who is over 3000 miles away at this time. Thank you.

You don’t need to trust me, believe me, or even like me. However, I wouldn’t mind giving us the best possible chance to build that trust (and respect), if possible.

Would other concerned citizens be interested in a forum with me to discuss this, in person? I’d love that opportunity to come together with a shared goal of respectful dialogue, and not social media cloud our opinions too much before we can look each other in the eyes.

Thanks for the opportunity to chat this one out.

“Grek explained that he gets why some are so fast to raise red flags about safe consumption or assistance for the homeless in general, but not without suggesting that people must form a stronger understanding about what leads to homelessness and addiction in the first place.”

A safe consumption site will benefit the entire community, says leading doctor While he admits that the situation downtown is grim at best, with so much experience on the frontline, Dr Jonny Grek is confident that a safe consumption site…

The public report around SUPERVISED CONSUMPTION SITES ( ; SCS; aka safe injection sites, aka overdose prevention sites) is eagerly anticipated in the next 24 hours, with the impending INDEPENDENT report commissioned by the NWHU*

I wanted to let you know that the evidence supports the following statements, which could be helpful in safe discussions within the community:

1. Crime does NOT INCREASE in the areas around SCS

2. Neither drug dealers, nor people who use drugs [PWUD; ] are attracted in greater numbers than usual to areas where there are SCS

3. Discarded needles & syringes have been shown to be reduced in areas where there are SCS.

My belief is that SCS will be most successful in areas where there is: support & collaboration with police partners (not over-enforcement/surveillance); where business owners and neighbours are involved in all stages of planning and delivery; and where peer workers and front line workers operate and manage the SCS. I also believe that at least one SCS should be located in a tiny home community, outside of the downtown core of Kenora.

*NWHU - Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU) is the most westerly of Ontario’s 34 public health** units, serving part of the Kenora district and the entire Rainy River district. I am not professionally affiliated with the NWHU, but I am very proud of this work being done. A huge thank you to the whole team involved, from me and all of my family who walk this path together.

**public health - “Public health is concerned with the health and well-being of the WHOLE community rather than the treatment of illness and disability”