THUNDER BAY -- Discussions have begun that could bring a Centre of Excellence for Addictions and Mental Health to Northwestern Ontario.
Although no agreement has yet been signed, the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care has committed $250,000 to a consultation process that will determine the feasibility of a centre to study and possibly treat the region’s mental health and addiction needs.
The announcement arose during the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy’s fifth annual report to City Council on Monday.
The proposed centre was among 112 recommendations the strategy presented in its founding 2011 document but it was shelved when province rejected its 2014 funding request. A line item staff discovered in Ontario’s 2016 budget encouraged the strategy to apply anew.
“This is a real opportunity for Northern Ontario – and particularly Northwestern Ontario – to look at what we can do with substance abuse,” said Coun. Rebecca Johnson, who chairs the strategy’s implementation committee.
“This is a feather in our cap. It’s something we’ve been wanting for about four years and when we were turned down, we put it aside but now we can do it and this is a really good thing for our community.”
The proposal was made in partnership with the Centre of Rural and Northern Health Research, which will consult municipalities, First Nations, and health professionals.
Strategy coordinator Cynthia Olsen pointed to similar centres in Southern Ontario as she insisted this region's mental health and addictions needs are unique.
She suggested the proposal is so fluid at this stage that it’s not clear whether the centre will be a physical building or a virtual network.
“I think we have a wealth of information for Northwestern Ontario," Olsen said.
"We’re looked upon for leading practices and we should be able to develop our own research around the specific needs of the north, recognizing it’s different from other areas."
