'A humanitarian and health crisis': St. Boniface Street Links among Manitoba projects receiving $2.5 million in federal funding
Manitoba harm reduction projects will be receiving $2.5 million in funding from the federal government.
"Lives are at stake, and we must do everything we can to protect the health and safety of all Canadians," said Dan Vandal, Minister for Prairies Economic Development Canada.
According to Vandal, there were 407 deaths in Manitoba due to illicit substances last year, up from 370 in 2020.
"We all know one death is too many," he said.
"By scaling up prevention, harm reduction and the treatment efforts, projects funded through Health Canada's Substance Use and Addictions Program will help people at risk of experiencing substance-related harms as well as overdose."
Vandal made the funding announcement Monday at St. Boniface Street Links, which is receiving $300,000 of the funding.
St. Boniface Street Links provides services like counselling and legal aid, as well as an outreach program for those experiencing homelessness.
Marion Willis, the founder and executive director of St. Boniface Street Links, said the funding is the largest the organization has received.
"We've really been trying to change how we look at mental health and addiction," she said. "To be successful, recovery takes time, and there needs to be a care plan."
St. Boniface Street Links will use the funds to implement their Outreach and Supportive Interventions for Substance Use (OASIS) programming, which provides wraparound supports and individualized care planning to people who are at a heightened risk of substance-related overdoses and face barriers to accessing care in Winnipeg.
Willis said the funds would help St. Boniface Street Links be proactive in assisting those struggling with addiction.
"The pandemic has been overlapping a six-and-a-half-year drug epidemic that has really created a humanitarian and health crisis in this city and province," said Willis. "Governments and philanthropy willing to resource innovative, high-impact projects like OASIS will see a reduction in loss of life, reduced homelessness, reduced crime and reduced pressure on policing, EMS and hospitals."
Willis said to date, the organization has helped house 272 people.
"By supporting initiatives like St. Boniface Street Links, we can help Canadians receive the health services and support they need to improve their health and overall quality of life," said Vandal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
More than half the Canadians once detained in Syrian camps for suspected ISIS family members have returned home
A total of 29 Canadians have been freed from detention camps in northeast Syria and brought back to Canada since human rights advocates began lobbying for their release years ago.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Canada abstains from Palestinian UN membership vote but supports two-state solution
Canada was one of 25 countries that abstained from a United Nations vote on Palestinian membership that passed with overwhelming support on Friday.
Amish youth experience a rite of passage called Rumspringa. It’s not what you might think
The idea of “Rumspringa” has a specific spot in the American imagination. A rite of passage for young people in some Amish communities, Rumspringa is seen by most outsiders as a wild time away from strict Amish rules, when teenagers can experiment with the modern vices of the world.