Northern Ont. mayors call for help with homelessness, addictions and immigration
Mayors of the five largest cities in northern Ontario met in North Bay the last two days to discuss a range of critical issues impacting their cities and the region.
The mayors of Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Thunder Bay said that building relationships with the provincial and federal governments remains at the top of the agenda when it comes to tackling homelessness and immigration priorities for the north.
The mayors of Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Thunder Bay said that building relationships with the provincial and federal governments remains at the top of the agenda when it comes to tackling homelessness and immigration priorities for the north. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
Flanked by colleagues from Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay Mayor Peter Chirico said he is putting his foot down -- severe challenges in northern Ontario need to be solved now with help from upper levels of government.
"To make sure our citizens and our entire population in northern Ontario are well serviced," Chirico told reporters Friday.
One of the top priorities is pushing the Ontario government to make sure there's a dedicated homelessness and addiction recovery treatment (HART) hub in each major city in the north.
The Ford government recently announced that 19 HART hubs would be put in place across the province at the cost of $378 million.
Ten new hubs will be built, while the other nine others will be created by converting former safe consumption sites.
The hubs are meant to connect people with complex homelessness, mental health and addiction challenges to a "comprehensive locally based approach to treatment that will offer an array of services."
The mayors of Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Thunder Bay said that building relationships with the provincial and federal governments remains at the top of the agenda when it comes to tackling homelessness and immigration priorities for the north. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
The mayors of Sudbury, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay and Thunder Bay said that building relationships with the provincial and federal governments remains at the top of the agenda when it comes to tackling homelessness and immigration priorities for the north. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)
"They’ve made it easy for us. This is what we have available, and this is what we’re going after," said Sault Mayor Matthew Shoemaker.
Statistics show the five major cities in the north have the highest opioid mortality rates in the province and are facing the challenge with little support from the province.
"The further you get away from Queen’s Park, the more dire the situation becomes," Shoemaker said.
"I think the fact that it’s not happening at the door at Queen’s Park makes it less visible."
The mayors are also calling for an expedited launch of the Rural Community Immigration Pilot and to make it permanent to address regional labour shortages.
The strategy, the mayors said, aligns with their broader vision of a where economic opportunity, public safety and quality of life coexist in the north.
Immigration fight
That fight is going to be with the federal government, which is cutting the number of permanent immigrants by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000.
"Let’s not paint the entire country with one brush," said Chirico.
"(In) the large urban centres, it is out of control, but in rural and northern Canada, that’s not the case."
A big problem is that cities often have to compete with each other because of the limited funding to tackle these challenges.
- Download the CTV News app now
- Get local breaking news alerts
- Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox
"The needs are just not our municipality. It's the regions that we have, as well. That's kind of the unique difference between northern and southern Ontario," said Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre.
"You can drive an hour and you can get services … in ways that they want. We don't have that luxury here.”
The path forward, the mayors said, is simple. They plan to send their concerns to their provincial and federal representatives, as well as reach out to ministers who work with addictions, mental health and immigration to have their voices heard.
"To help northern Ontario thrive, we need stronger social programs to tackle the opioid crisis and a focus on job growth," Timmins Maor Michelle Boileau said in a statement.
"By investing in our people and safety, we’re setting up Timmins and the entire north for a healthier, more prosperous future."
A draft of their proposal will also be sent to Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s office.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Feds move to end work stoppages at ports, order binding arbitration
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.
Canada Post workers issue 72-hour strike notice
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has given a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post.
23 arrested after at least 100 shots fired in exchange of gunfire outside Toronto recording studio: police
Police say 23 people are in custody after at least 100 shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire outside a West Queen West recording studio on Monday night.
'He begged me': Brampton, Ont. woman loses more than $200K to romance scam
A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.
What consumers need to know if Canada Post workers strike ahead of a busy holiday season
Canada's postal workers could walk off the job or the company could lock them out as soon as 12:01 a.m. ET Friday if the union and the company don't reach an agreement. Here are tips for shoppers and businesses.
Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
A new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday by a federal judge who said the law is 'unconstitutional on its face.'
Ottawa high school principal apologizes for song played during Remembrance Day assembly
The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.
Driver rams his car into crowd in China, killing 35. Police say he was upset about his divorce
A man who authorities said was upset over his divorce settlement rammed his car into a crowd of people exercising at a sports complex in southern China, killing 35 and severely injuring dozens of others, police said Tuesday.
Judge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they were cycling on a rural New Jersey road briefly appeared in court Tuesday, where the judge extended the window for prosecutors to seek an indictment.