The provincial government’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs is touring the province to host pre-budget consultations.
It made a stop in Timmins Tuesday and 28 presenters made their pitches to the committee comprised of Conservative and NDP members of provincial parliament.
Among those who delivered presentations were members of Indigenous, educational, business, and municipal organizations.
George Pirie, the mayor of Timmins, was the only municipal leader on the agenda.
When he addressed the committee, he focused on: energy rates, infrastructure funding, and land ambulance services, but he also highlighted the growing opioid crisis in the north.
“This is an epidemic that’s not going to go away. It’s going to be generational. It’s something that we have to speak with one voice in all municipalities when we’re talking to the province. We have to address this. This is a significant concern, and not just in Timmins, but Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, and North Bay. Our particular concern is we have such a huge area to service and once again we need the province’s help. It’s a health care issue, mental health issue, and the province has to address this and fund it accordingly.” said Pirie.
Porcupine Health Unit officials tell CTV News it serves close to 87,000 people within 274 square kilometres, based on the 2011 census.
They say preliminary numbers indicate that 266,000 needles were dispensed through their organization during the first eleven months of 2018 and will be releasing the full year’s total in the coming weeks.
Pirie echoed his concern about the community's growing drug crisis in his state of the city address on Thursday.
