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.

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"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.