Responding to urgent needs in communities most impacted by the overdose crisis

The Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) is part of the Government of Canada’s efforts to help communities rapidly respond to emerging, critical needs related to the overdose crisis. Health Canada is providing more than $19 million in additional funding through the ETF to 21 projects across Ontario. Funding will support a wide range of urgent interventions to increase local capacity to help populations most affected by the toxic drug and overdose crisis.

October 2025

The Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) is part of the Government of Canada's efforts to help communities rapidly respond to emerging, critical needs related to the overdose crisis.

Health Canada is providing more than $19 million in additional funding through the ETF to 21 projects across Ontario. Funding will support a wide range of urgent interventions to increase local capacity to help populations most affected by the toxic drug and overdose crisis.

The backgrounder below describes the projects receiving funding.

Kenora District Services Board
Healing and Recovery Space – Dryden, ON
$2,738,029 to urgently address the growing need for emergency shelter, substance use support, and culturally appropriate recovery services in response to rising homelessness and overdose rates in Sioux Lookout and surrounding areas.

Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig, Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying - ENAGB Youth Program
ENAGB Indigenous Youth Addressing the Overdose Crisis – York, ON and Thunder Bay, ON
$2,445,280 to support harm reduction managers, outreach workers, mental health and addictions counsellors, and program coordinator assistants in providing services to Indigenous youth between 12–29 years of age in Toronto and Thunder Bay.

Corporation of the City of Guelph
Health Outreach & Mobile Engagement Team – The "HOME" Team – Guelph, ON
$2,137,344 to provide mobile wrap-around healthcare and outreach services to those experiencing substance use issues and barriers to accessing traditional healthcare services.

City of London
Urgently Alleviating Substance-Related Harms Through Transactional Outreach to Encampments – London, ON
$1,400,000 to support individuals experiencing homelessness by addressing substance-related harms and providing harm reduction and overdose prevention services.

Hamilton Public Health Services (City of Hamilton)
Post-care Harm Reduction and Coordination: Supporting Underhoused People Who Use Drugs – Hamilton, ON
$1,231,140 to reduce risk of drug poisoning and related harms among underhoused people who use drugs following an urgent healthcare interaction. It will provide targeted harm reduction outreach and service coordination by hiring a outreach team.

Corporation of the County of Grey
Expanding Access and Capacity for Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) in Grey County – Owen Sound, ON
$1,126,700 to expand the SOS program's reach and capacity, including overdose reversal, mental health and addiction support, naloxone distribution, peer support, and an Indigenous navigator role.

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation
MCFN Land-based Healing Program – Hagersville, ON
$1,013,627 to establish a culturally rooted healing program using traditional practices. It will include overdose prevention training, naloxone distribution, Indigenous wellness education, outreach events, peer support, and systems navigation to connect members with addiction services.

Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre Inc.
Pretreatment Transition Home – Wikwemikong, ON
$969,335 to offer early-stage addiction support for up to five weeks before formal treatment. The project aims to reduce relapse and improve continuity of care.

Corporation of the County of Lanark
Lanark County Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Outreach Project (LCHR&OPOP) – Lanark County, ON
$745,512 to address the gap in harm reduction and overdose prevention services for high-risk populations in the Lanark County region. The project will deliver mobile harm reduction services directly to underserved communities.

Hamilton Public Health Services (City of Hamilton)
Reducing Drug Related Harm and Improving Well-being for Women and Gender Diverse People Impacted by the Overdose Crisis – Hamilton, ON
$770,650 to reduce substance use-related harms and improve well-being for women and gender-diverse individuals in Hamilton, ON, who use opioids and other illicit substances while experiencing homelessness or violence.

Corporation of the City of Timmins
Outreach and Peer Support – Timmins, ON
$693,434 to hire outreach and peer support workers who will deliver crisis assistance, educate the community, and connect clients to services for withdrawal management and blood-borne infection treatment.

Regional Municipality of Niagara
Harm Reduction in Motion – Niagara, ON
$699,306 to purchase three mobile units and fund outreach harm reduction workers to support case managers and clean needle/syringe outreach services.

The Corporation of the City of St. Thomas
Sealing the Gaps in Elgin: Building a Comprehensive Continuum of Services to Support People who Use Opioids – St. Thomas, ON
$640,326 to strengthen St. Thomas-Elgin's capacity to support individuals who use substances, particularly those at risk of opioid-related harms. By expanding the continuum of services, it will address gaps in access to care.

City of Toronto (Toronto Shelter and Support Services)
Emergency Transitional Response (ETR): Bolstering Capacity of the Health, Housing and Shelter Sector to Provide Harm Reduction and Overdose Response Supports – Toronto, ON
$621,278 to strengthen services for people who use drugs, especially those in encampments, shelters, and supportive housing.

Regional Municipality of Durham Region
Opioid Outreach – Whitby, ON
$516,889 to establish a rapid response team staffed by social workers to provide on-the-spot therapy and addiction support via a mobile outreach vehicle.

City of London
Reducing Substance Use Harms Through Basic Needs and Healthcare at 602 Queens "The Commons" – London, ON
$444,250 to provide wraparound support for individuals experiencing homelessness, including harm reduction education, overdose prevention, naloxone access, and connections to substance use and wellness services.

Regional Municipality of Peel
Hiring Substance Use/Addictions Workers in the Shelter System – Mississauga, ON
$279,016 to hire three addiction workers at shelters in Brampton and Mississauga to personalize treatment plans, coordinate referrals, and provide crisis intervention and relapse prevention.

Regional Municipality of Peel
Bolstering Harm Reduction Resources in Peel – Mississauga, ON
Amendment of $7,762 to enhance current outreach efforts of the Peel Works Harm Reduction program by purchasing two vans and enhancing the availability and distribution of harm reduction supplies.

Municipal Corporation of the County of Renfrew
Renfrew County Substance Use, Mental Health and Housing Mesa Systems Integrated Navigation Tool – Renfrew, ON
$243,500 to develop a culturally tailored system navigation tool for accessing substance use, mental health, and housing supports, with an education and training plan for county-wide implementation.

Corporation of the County of Lennox and Addington
P.A.T.H (Prevention Addiction & Treatment Hub) – Napanee, ON
$224,471 to deploy a mobile overdose prevention team to provide on-site naloxone distribution, harm reduction education, supplies and other support services for high-risk populations in underserved communities.

Corporation of the City of Peterborough
Bridging Gaps: Enhancing Peterborough's Outreach and Harm Reduction Capacity for Overdose Prevention – Peterborough, ON
$378,403 to enhance harm reduction and outreach services by addressing service gaps for high-risk populations, including those facing homelessness and substance use issues. Through multi-partner collaboration, the initiative is improving service accessibility with new outreach vans, enhancing safety with security systems, providing essential supplies to vulnerable populations, and expanding training to increase staff capacity in harm reduction efforts.