Ontario branches of the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) in Kenora, Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Sudbury/Manitoulin, Muskoka-Parry Sound, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, and Cochrane-Timiskaming are urging political party leaders to commit to finding solutions to mental health and addiction challenges in northern communities.
The call comes as all major party leaders prepare for their first provincial election debate in North Bay today. SooToday will air the debate at 1 p.m. on this website.
Mental health and addiction programs in the north have long been overwhelmed by the demand for services, said a news release.
The region has been hit hardest by the ongoing intersecting mental health, addiction, and homelessness crises faced by the rest of the province, as well as the distinctive and highly disproportionate impact on Indigenous populations. A significant proportion of individuals who are homeless identify as Indigenous. In Nipissing District, the figure stood at 42 per cent in 2021.
Northern Ontario communities have also been hit hardest by the drug poisoning crisis, with mortality rates more than twice as high as the provincial average. In 2024, there were an average of 60.4 opioid-related deaths per 100,000 population in northern Ontario overall, compared to the provincial average of 22.0, the release added.
“We need concrete solutions on how to address the barriers to access and service gaps faced by our Northern communities,” said CMHA North Bay and District CEO Mary Davis. “We hope to hear from each leader at the debate on how they will make mental health and addictions a priority issue.”
Fast Facts:
- The Association of Municipalities of Ontario reports that homelessness has risen by 204 per cent since 2016 in northern Ontario, four times the increase in non-northern communities.
- Five of the top 10 communities with the highest rate of opioid-related deaths in 2023 are in northern Ontario.
- According to Public Health Ontario, the northwest region of the province has the highest prevalence of fair/poor mental health status for children aged 1 to 17 years old.
- Indigenous representation among chronically homeless populations is averaging more than 44 per cent in northern regions compared to nearly 14 per cent in non-northern regions.