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

Funding will prioritize urgent needs at community level

FREDERICTON, NB, July 21, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced $2.8 million in funding from the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) to support four projects in Atlantic. 

These investments will directly support communities in Fredericton and Miramichi, New Brunswick, in Amherst, Nova Scotia, and in St. John's, Newfoundland.

The ETF is part of the Government of Canada's 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. It provides support for a wide range of urgent interventions to bolster local capacity to help the most affected populations.

Minister Michel highlighted a mobile outreach project led by the City of Fredericton and the John Howard Society. This project will expand outreach efforts in Fredericton, New Brunswick, by adding overnight services to support vulnerable populations by delivering supplies, providing transport to critical services, distributing naloxone, and offering overdose support and weather warnings year-round.

Quotes

"Communities across the country have called for help - and through the Emergency Treatment Fund, we are responding. This funding will deliver immediate support where it is needed most. We are using every tool available to connect people to care, address urgent local challenges, and keep our communities safe."

The Honourable Marjorie Michel
Minister of Health

"Families and communities continue to feel the devastating impact of the fentanyl crisis. This funding will improve access to life-saving harm reduction services, health supports, and community-based programs for those who need it the most. Through ongoing collaboration, we can continue building a compassionate, evidence-informed approach that protects lives and supports recovery."

David Myles
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages and Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State (Nature)

"This project, led by the John Howard Society and supported by the City of Fredericton, is a vital step in addressing a key need identified in our Community Safety Task Force Report. By adding a mobile overnight outreach unit, we're ensuring vulnerable residents get the support they need when they need it most. This partnership reflects our commitment to a safer, more supportive Fredericton for everyone."

Her Worship Kate Rogers
Mayor of Fredericton

"This initiative marks an important step forward in our commitment to providing comprehensive, around-the-clock support to individuals in need. By extending outreach efforts into the overnight hours, we aim to ensure that no one is left without access to essential services—regardless of the time of day. These new overnight outreach services will work in close coordination with existing daytime programs, creating a continuous and responsive support system that prioritizes safety, connection to services, and community care. We are proud to work in partnership with Fredericton Police and Fire on this initiative, and we thank all of the frontline workers and community partners who make this vital work possible."

John Barrow
Executive Director, John Howard Society of Fredericton

Quick Facts

• Budget 2024 provided $150 million over three years for an ETF for municipalities and Indigenous communities to help provide rapid responses to the overdose crisis.
• Further to the 2024 ETF Call for Proposals, more than $100.5 million in funding is being provided for 102 projects. Projects will be made public when the agreements are in place. 

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: Emilie Gauduchon, Senior Communications and Issues Advisor, Office of the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, [email protected]; Media Relations, Health Canada, 613-957-2983, [email protected]; Public Inquiries, 613-957-2991, 1-866-225-0709