Sudbury mayor wants more money to deal with homelessness
Sudbury mayor Brian Bigger has issued a letter to Premier Doug Ford asking for his immediate attention and assistance in helping those experiencing addiction and homelessness in his city.
“As I write this letter in my office at city hall, I can look out the window into our civic court yard and see more than 30 homeless citizens, some suffering from debilitating addictions, living in tents or simply sheltering under the building overhangs,” reads the Nov. 24 letter issued to Premier Doug Ford.
“Across the street in one direction is Memorial Park, dedicated to our veterans, where dozens more tents have been set up by people suffering from homelessness. Across the street in the opposite direction are more than 200 white crosses in a corner sculpture park; each representing a life lost to drug addiction.”
Throughout the letter, Bigger describes the lack of infrastructure and resources the city has available and pleads with Ford to step in.
“Premier, my community needs your immediate attention and assistance to deal with these converging emergencies. Our budgets and human resources are simply not adequate to respond to this unprecedented situation,” he said.
With opioid addiction emerging as real concern for public health officials and policy makers over the last several years, local governments are increasingly reliant on the province to maintain long-term treatment and housing options. As the number of those who require services increase, municipalities were forced to take the brunt of that impact, but are now looking to fight back.
Bigger not only refers to these challenges directly, but goes a step further by highlighting the troubling death-by-opioids numbers communities across the north are facing.
“Northern Ontario is being disproportionately impacted by opioid addiction, with the highest death rates per capita in Ontario and some of the highest in Canada,” said Bigger.
“As the Northeast’s largest city, Greater Sudbury attracts those who are seeking shelter and services, overwhelming housing and outreach capacities and creating increased numbers of unhoused and under-housed individuals.”
In closing, Bigger offers three areas of concern he says require immediate consideration for funding which include: supportive housing, a supervised consumption site, and emergency funding support.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Prince William and wife Kate thank public for birthday messages for son Louis
Prince William and his wife Kate thanked the public for their messages which had been sent to mark the sixth birthday of their youngest son Louis on Tuesday.
She was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father. Then life dealt her a blow
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
'Catch-and-kill' strategy to be a focus as testimony resumes in Trump hush money case
A veteran tabloid publisher was expected to return to the witness stand Tuesday in Donald Trump's historic hush money trial.
Quebec farmers have been protesting since December. Is anyone listening?
Upset about high interest rates, growing paperwork and heavy regulatory burdens, protesting farmers have become a familiar sight across Quebec since December.
South Korean sentenced to 14 months in jail for killing 76 cats
South Korean man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for killing 76 cats in one of the country's most gruesome cases of animal cruelty in recent years.