Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie to get Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment hubs
The hubs will offer addiction and recovery services, but not supervised consumption
Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie are among the latest Ontario communities that will get provincial funding for Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs.
Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced Monday that the province has approved 18 more HART hubs, in addition to the nine already approved earlier in the year.
The hubs will offer drug treatment and recovery services, along with on-site referral to shelter and transitional housing services. But they won't have supervised consumption services, and won't be a place where people can access a safe drug supply.
Jones said late last year that Ontario would ban supervised drug consumption sites located within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres. That means 10 supervised consumption sites across Ontario will have to shutter their doors by March 2025.
"Our government is helping more people get the treatment and support they need, when and where they need it, by taking the next step to improve access to mental health and addictions services," Jones said in a news release.
"Our investment to create a total of 27 new HART Hubs will keep communities safe and ensure timely and comprehensive access to mental health support, addictions care, primary care, supportive housing, and employment services, no matter where you live."
Sudbury had a supervised consumption site, known as The Spot, that closed at the end of March 2024. An organization called Réseau Access Network operated that site.
The city's hospital, Health Sciences North, will run the new HART hub.
"This HART hub funding demonstrates the province's commitment to helping us tackle the serious mental health and addictions challenges facing municipalities like Greater Sudbury," Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre in a news release.
"This partnership bolsters my confidence in the success of transformative projects like the Lorraine Street Transitional Housing development. Together, we are not just addressing immediate needs—we are building sustainable solutions that will change lives and create a stronger, healthier Greater Sudbury."
The province lists two HART hubs to be located in Sault Ste. Marie. The Canadian Mental Health Association Algoma will run one of the sites, and Maamwesying, which provides community health services along the north shore of Lake Huron will run the other.
In a news release, Maamwesying said it will repurpose existing infrastructure in Sagamok Anishnawbek, Blind River, and Sault Ste. Marie to deliver culturally relevant care.
"With a 'no door is the wrong door' approach, the HART hub will co-ordinate to deliver comprehensive support, bridging gaps in existing services and fostering collaboration among Indigenous service," said Maamwesying CEO Carol Eshkakogan in a news release.
The northern Ontario communities of Timmins and North Bay are not among the cities on the list of 18 HART Hubs announced today.