Supporting community-led responses to the illegal toxic drug and overdose crisis

Funding will prioritize urgent needs at community level

THUNDER BAY, ON, Feb. 28, 2025 /CNW/ - No community has been left untouched by the toxic drug and overdose crisis. Its tragic impacts are seen and felt among our families, friends, and neighbours. Municipalities and Indigenous communities are on the front lines of this public health crisis, each and every day.

Today, the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services of Canada, announced over $11.4 million in funding from the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) to support 14 projects across Canada. Minister Saks also announced $73.3 million in funding for 51 projects under the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).

The ETF is part of our efforts to help communities rapidly respond to emerging, critical needs related to the overdose crisis faced by municipalities and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. ETF will provide support for a wide range of urgent interventions to bolster local capacity to support the most affected populations.

The SUAP supports a broad range of community organizations working to connect people to care and save lives. These organizations are using their expertise and experience to help meet the unique needs of the people in their communities by providing culturally appropriate, trauma-informed, and evidence-based programs and services. 

The funding announced today will help communities provide immediate support where it is needed most. There is no simple approach to solving the overdose crisis, and no community can do it alone. We are committed to working with all levels of government, stakeholders, partners, and people with lived and living experience, to protect the health and safety of our communities.

Quotes

"Communities across the country have asked for our help. With the Emergency Treatment Fund, we are stepping up to ensure they have the supports they need. This funding will help to deliver critical assistance to communities, especially underserved communities, and tackle immediate pressures and urgent needs locally. Through strong collaboration with organizations, municipalities, and Indigenous communities, we can make help available when, where, and how it is needed most. We need to try everything we can to connect people to care and keep our communities safe."

The Honourable Ya'ara Saks
Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health

"Indigenous Peoples continue to bear a disproportionate burden from the drug crisis. The Emergency Treatment Fund is part of our government's commitment to support Indigenous-led solutions that honor cultural wisdom and healing practices. By investing in community-designed approaches, we're not only responding to immediate needs but addressing the historical legacies and systemic inequities at the root of this crisis. This funding empowers First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to lead their own healing journeys, creating pathways to wellness that reflect their values, traditions, and strengths."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services of Canada

"This funding will help Thunder Bays most needy at a time when we are experiencing such a high rate of mental illness and overdoses across the country." 

Marcus Powlowski
Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Ontario

Quick Facts

• Budget 2024 provided $150 million over three years for an ETF for municipalities and Indigenous communities to help provide rapid responses to emergent, critical needs related to the substance use and overdose crisis.
• Further to the 2024 ETF Call for Proposals, more than $51 million in funding is being provided to 65 projects. Projects will be made public when agreements are in place.
• As announced in Budget 2023, the Government of Canada is providing $144 million in top-up funding through SUAP, including the funding announced today to fund community support services and other evidence-based interventions.
• Since 2017, over $740 million has been invested in nearly 460 projects under the SUAP.

Related Products

• Supporting community-based organizations and helping communities address critical needs related to the illegal toxic drug and overdose crisis

Associated Links

• Government of Canada supporting solutions and rapid responses to the substance use and overdose crisis
• Emergency Treatment Fund 2024
• The Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy
• Get help with substance use
• Hope for Wellness

SOURCE Health Canada (HC)

Contacts: Callum Haney, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Ya'ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, 343-576-4407; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries, 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709