Ontario government says more addictions treatment beds coming to North Bay

Addictions and mental health have become a huge crisis in North Bay. But there’s optimism that through a new treatment centre, the problem can be alleviated.

The province said Friday 53 new addictions treatment beds are opening up on Lakeshore Drive in North Bay this summer.

“There are some really good doctors I work with and learn from. One of them said to me that if you go to the hospital and you have a heart attack, we do everything we can to get you well,” said the facility’s future chief of staff, Dr. Ben Lalonde.

“When someone comes in with an overdose, we can’t always do that. We need to change the way we think. These are people that need help.”

North Bay Police Chief Scott Tod said in November 2021, police responded to 165 calls related to mental health and addictions. The calls were assigned to the police’s mobile crisis team.

“The service responded to 36,000 calls in 2021, 70 per cent of those are related to what we call 'anti-social behaviour,' which may have an element to addiction or mental health to it,” said Tod.

The new treatment facility will consist of 24 addictions treatment beds, nine withdrawal services beds and 20 supportive treatment beds.

The province said studies have shown opioid-related deaths surged by 79 per cent during the first two waves of the pandemic.

Ontario is chipping in $6.84 million to help get it done.

“When someone needs withdrawal management, we give them the detox,” said Mental Health and Addictions Associate Minister Michael Tibollo.

“When they come out of detox, they need to go somewhere. We need to have treatment recovery beds.”

When open, the facility will employ 20 healthcare professionals, and it will open placements and teaching clinics for students. Canadore College will train and educate the facility’s first staff members.

“This is great for students. It’s applied learning in the real setting,” said the college’s president and CEO, George Burton. “We will have some program expansion as a result of this initiative. We are the training hub for this.”

Lalonde said having a new facility closer to home for people struggling with addictions is crucial to getting help.

“Everybody uses for the same reasons -- it’s because they’re hurting,” he said.

“They want help, so when they come to my door that’s what we’re going to offer. This is going to give us the tools to offer whatever help we can.”

The hope is to have the new facility up and running in July.