Mayors and municipal representatives from across Canada, including West Nipissing continue their work to address issues around substance use in small cities and towns.
The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions says 30 regions have now contributed to a playbook on the crisis.
They say it will be launched this fall and will include the first municipally led, integrated standards for prevention, treatment, harm reduction, recovery, policing services, and policies and strategies.
It will also help unlock government support.
“The substance use crisis is not just a big city issue — it’s a whole-of-Canada issue that’s disproportionally affecting smaller cities and towns,” says Dr. Alexander Caudarella, family physician and CEO of Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addictions. “We have the expertise in substance use health, but the mayors and municipal representatives here are the real experts on what their communities need. For the first time, we are bringing the two together to build effective and sustainable localized solutions.”
Several cities and towns took part in a Municipal Leader’s Table in Lethbridge, Alberta in mid-April.
Later this spring, Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau will brief additional mayors on the initiative and playbook during the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Annual Conference and Trade Show in Ottawa.
The centre says open substance use in public spaces, rising numbers of substance use–related hospitalizations and deaths, and a lack of affordable and stable housing are only a few of the challenges small cities face.
