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 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.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
Iran's judiciary confirms rapper Toomaj Salehi death sentence
Iran's judiciary confirmed the death sentence of well-known Iranian rapper Toomaj Salehi but added that he is entitled to a sentence reduction, state media reported on Thursday.