Northern Ontario mayors call for help to deal with opioid, addictions crisis
It’s a collective cry for help across the north, with the five large urban mayors all calling for help to deal with opioid overdoses and addictions.
“We have got to grab this crisis by the neck right now,” said Timmins Mayor George Pirie. “It’s that urgent, because people are dying on our streets.”
The opioid and addictions crisis wasn’t the only topic on the agenda for the virtual Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors Meeting on Tuesday, but it's one everyone agrees needs to be addressed immediately.
“We need immediate help specifically designed for northern Ontario,” said Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano. “We need additional funds for northern Ontario so that our communities can start to work through the very significant challenges we have. Those are conversations that have to be had.”
The mayors said it’s just too big of a problem for municipalities to tackle on their own.
“This is bigger than the municipality, I think it’s even bigger than the provincial and federal government. I think society has to come together to find solutions,” said North Bay Mayor Al McDonald.
“I can tell you, it’s really out of my league. I’ve learned so much over the last couple of years on opioids and homelessness and I continue to learn more, but we really need the experts to come in and assist us.”
Greater Sudbury Mayor, Brian Bigger said collectively, the mayors are asking for help.
“What we’re expecting to do here is reach out to the provincial government, as well as the federal government, looking for additional supports because the help and support can’t come quick enough,” Bigger said.
“It is impacting our communities and the people living in our communities in so many ways. We feel that there is a great urgency here.”
McDonald said there are two main requests.
“One is a meeting with the prime minister and the premier, because they both need to be at the table," he said. "The second piece is a national strategy on the opioid crisis."
Other topics the mayors discussed included several financial issues, and the housing and homelessness situation were also discussed.
Officials said that all of these challenges are interrelated, but agree the opioid epidemic and addiction crisis is the most pressing.
“It’s clear when you look at the data year over year that the problem isn’t getting better so we’re not being successful,” said Provenzano. “We need help. We need help from the province. We need help from the feds.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
B.C.'s short-term rental regulations include $10K daily penalties for Airbnb, other platforms
Short-term rental platforms that violate B.C.'s pending regulations can face administrative penalties of up to $10,000 per day, officials announced Thursday.
Closing arguments heard in trial for Sask. dad accused of abducting daughter
Closing arguments were heard Thursday morning in the case of Michael Gordon Jackson, the Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter in 2021 to keep her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.