Northern Ontario still dealing with higher than average opioid deaths
As Ontario's chief coroner says opioid deaths are slowing down in Ontario, northern communities continue to rank higher than the rest of the province. Algoma and Sudbury districts share the second-highest number of opioid related deaths per-capita, behind Thunder Bay, which sits at number one.
The latest stats on opioid mortality rates in both districts sit at 50 deaths per 100,000 people, which is far above the provincial average of 19.7. People aged 30 to 59 remain the most affected.
Save Our Young Adults (SOYA) is a grassroots group in Sault Ste. Marie that helps people with addiction get into treatment. Founder Connie Raynor-Elliott said while a withdrawal management facility is being built in the Sault, people are continuing to die of overdoses.
"It can't open soon enough," she said.
"I know it's because of the supply chain (challenges) and Mayor Shoemaker is fighting to get back our day treatment, which is very important because we don't really have a treatment centre. And we, again, need more funding. It all comes down to more funding. The numbers are climbing and I'm really afraid for this winter."
SOYA will hold a candle-light vigil next week for people who have died of drug overdoses. It will be held at the memorial wall outside of city hall where more names are expected to be added.
For more information on the vigil, visit SOYA’s Facebook page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.