Emergency Treatment Fund: Funded projects

Kitimâkehtowin Friendship Centre (Ultimate Compassion Friendship Centre)

Recipient: Samson Cree Nation

Contribution agreement total: $2,367,000

This project will deliver supports to Indigenous people in Wetaskiwin facing substance use challenges, focusing on Samson Cree Nation members, including mobile outreach services, recovery support, and harm reduction training for those living in Maskwacîs, Wetaskiwin, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Calgary.

Urgent Opioid Overdose Response and Management: Mobile Outreach and Transportation

Recipient: Big Horn Health Services (Goodstoney First Nation)

Contribution agreement total: $1,292,367

This project will address the urgent need for accessible addiction management and overdose prevention services. It includes the acquisition of 2 vehicles: one to transport individuals to treatment programs outside the community, and another to provide mobile education and harm reduction services, including the distribution of:

• naloxone kits
• educational resources
• hygiene supplies
• basic first aid

The project will also host an opioid awareness community conference and staff training on culturally sensitive addictions supports.

Wihcihaw Maskokamik Addictions Support Program

Recipient: wihcihaw maskokamik Society

Contribution agreement total: $1,091,997

This project will deliver culturally responsive and Indigenous-specific addiction support through the Indigenous-operated Wihcihaw Maskokamik Society within the City of Edmonton, drawing on the expertise of an addictions counsellor, a social worker, a psychologist, and Elders.

Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement Overdose Emergency Response

Recipient: Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement

Contribution agreement total: $897,380

This project aims to establish a culturally grounded, community-led substance use response framework in Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement, to address opioid-related overdoses and fatalities. It will provide locally accessible addiction and mental health services, including:

• naloxone distribution and training
• counselling
• support groups
• educational resources
• a mobile health unit
• a public awareness campaign to reduce stigma

Community Care Support Units: Emergency Units for Crisis Intervention in Mental Health and Addictions

Recipient: Kehewin Cree Nation

Contribution agreement total: $459,400

This initiative aims to create safe, stigma-free spaces by retrofitting trailers for mental health and addiction recovery. It provides immediate crisis intervention with trained staff and resources, while offering transportation to access medical and recovery services. By diverting non-hospital cases, it eases pressure on emergency departments. The project targets full deployment, including retrofitting, staffing, and partnerships.

Community-Based Overdose Response

Recipient: Swan River First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $381,000

This project will urgently address the rising rates of substance misuse and overdose in the Swan River First Nation community by offering culturally relevant workshops and training sessions focused on harm reduction and safe substance use practices.

The City of New Westminster's Crises Response Pilot Project

Recipient: Corporation of the City of New Westminster

Contribution agreement total: $1,466,230

This project will address the interconnected crises of substance use, homelessness, and mental health by providing stable shelter, wrap-around supports, and expanded harm-reduction outreach teams and services. It will tackle community issues like stigma and discarded drug paraphernalia while fostering collaboration between service providers and supportive housing.

SOLID Access Hub Service Ramp-Up

Recipient: The Corporation of the City of Victoria

Contribution agreement total: $2,051,986

This project will rapidly expand and enhance the services offered at a social services hub. Specifically, it will expand services 7 days a week to a community space where individuals have immediate access to:

• survival needs
• harm reduction
• overdose prevention services
• other wrap-around services

Nuk'w7antwál' Project

Recipient: Cayoose Creek Indian Band

Contribution agreement total: $1,633,190

This project will provide culturally appropriate, Indigenous-led services to address the opioid crisis in Sekw'el'was First Nation and the Northern St'at'imc Nations. It will expand harm reduction activities, such as workshops and community events, and introduce a 24/7 mobile harm reduction outreach program to serve people across the region, including Lillooet residents.

Moonchikanihtaahk aen paykiiwayhk (Homecoming) - Métis Substance Use and Addictions Support Program

Recipient: Métis Nation British Columbia(Métis Provincial Council of BC)

Contribution agreement total: $1,531,500

This project will provide culturally grounded harm reduction and wellness services to Métis individuals across 6 BC cities. Focused on addressing the toxic drug crisis, it offers peer support, harm reduction education, and culturally specific guidance to strengthen Métis identity, resilience, and wellness.

Community-led Peer

Recipient: The Corporation of the City of Kelowna

Contribution agreement total: $1,505,690

This project supports individuals in crisis by offering a collaborative model with social service and health agencies, providing assessment, intervention, referrals, and outreach. It includes a culturally responsive approach, particularly for Indigenous communities, focused on building positive relationships and incorporating Indigenous healing practices. The initiative also aims to enhance outreach efforts in Kelowna to address the opioid crisis, by purchasing 2 vans and creating peer-assisted teams to deliver support.

Urgent increase to low-barrier, Indigenous- and peer-led overdose prevention and substance use services

Recipient: THE POUNDS PROJECT SOCIETY

Contribution agreement total: $1,486,600

The project aims to improve overdose prevention and harm reduction services in Prince George, BC where overdose-related deaths and emergency calls have escalated significantly. It will double the organization's hours and expand its Support Services Team's capacity through additional staff, outreach promotion, and a vehicle for wider geographic reach. This will improve accessibility, address urgent community needs, and provide data for sustainable interventions.

Kootenay Mobile Peer and Community Outreach Program (K-POP)

Recipient: City of Cranbrook

Contribution agreement total: $1,321,060

This collaborative project developed in partnership with local healthcare providers, addiction services, and the food bank aims to improve health and wellbeing in Cranbrook, BC, by connecting individuals in remote and high-risk areas with essential health and harm reduction services. The initiative addresses gaps in social support networks and strengthens the community's capacity to respond to the overdose crisis. Key efforts include deploying mobile outreach vans to deliver harm reduction supplies and addiction support services directly to those in need.

Sekani Mental Health and Wellness Initiative

Recipient: Tsay Keh Dene Nation

Contribution agreement total: $1,183,573

This project will address the Tsay Keh Dene community's opioid and mental health crisis by hiring 3 mental health and wellness professionals to enhance local capacity and provide critical support on- and off-reserve. It includes measures to improve service accessibility, such as transit and accommodation support, while also funding the annual Moose Valley Family Camp, a 2-week cultural healing program.

Low-barrier Mobile Outreach Program to Provide Urgent Health Supports to Vulnerable Indigenous Populations

Recipient: NISGA'A VALLEY HEALTH AUTHORITY

Contribution agreement total: $832,477

This project aims to launch low-barrier mobile outreach services to support vulnerable populations in Terrace and surrounding areas. By providing peer outreach, systems navigation, and supporting access to health care professionals, it seeks to improve health outcomes and reduce overdose-related deaths among those struggling with addiction, mental health issues, or homelessness.

The LMO Wakohtowin Wellness Project

Recipient: LII MICHIF OTIPEMISIWAK FAMILY & COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

Contribution agreement total: $687,888

The project aims to address the opioid and mental health crisis affecting Métis and urban Indigenous youth aged 16 to 27. The team, consisting of 2 Indigenous Wellness Counsellors and two Elder Mentors, will provide one-to-one support services and cultural programming to around 25 identified at-risk youth. The project will focus on assessing basic needs, restoring connections to family and natural supports, and developing safety plans to prevent overdoses. The project also incorporates traditional practices like honoring and gifting to encourage and motivate at-risk youth.

Equity in Action. Delivering Cultural Safety and Resources through Community Collaboration

Recipient: Ooknakane Friendship Centre

Contribution agreement total: $684,000

The Equity in Action project will address the opioid crisis among Indigenous populations by embedding culturally safe, trauma-informed care within a centralized HUB. Using a two-eyed seeing approach that blends Western science and Indigenous knowledge, it will build community capacity, enhance cultural safety, and provide comprehensive prevention, and post-treatment support through Indigenous-led programming and a 3-pillar strategy—community capacity building, capital investment, and cultural safety.

Kelly Lake Addictions Recovery and Community Healing Initiative

Recipient: NIKIHK MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY

Contribution agreement total: $665,850

Through culturally appropriate methods, this project will facilitate land-based healing programming for members struggling with addictions, distribute resource bundles and harm reduction kits, and promote healing through community gatherings and counseling sessions for all members affected by addiction in Kelly Lake.

Indigenous Led Wellness Outreach Van Program

Recipient: K'ómoks First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $536,274

This project aims to enhance the outreach efforts of the K'ómoks First Nation community by purchasing a van and outreach materials to bridge the critical gap in mental health and addiction support services for Indigenous communities within Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw territory of Vancouver Island. This project will deploy a specially designed van equipped with resources and staffed by a dedicated team to provide pre- and post-substance use treatment support to Indigenous individuals in the North Vancouver Island region.

Langley CARE (Community Action for Response & Empowerment)

Recipient: City of Langley

Contribution agreement total: $175,350

This initiative will equip the City of Langley with overdose prevention resources through the React app platform, offering digital tools, training, and naloxone delivery guidance to enhance timely responses and reduce overdose incidents. The project aims to build community capacity, raise awareness about the overdose crisis, and demonstrate the effectiveness of collective interventions. By fostering dialogue, reducing stigma, and informing policy, the initiative seeks to strengthen support systems and improve outcomes for those at risk.

Harm Reduction Outreach

Recipient: NUU-CHAH-NULTH TRIBAL COUNCIL

Contribution agreement total: $608,999

The goal of this project is to provide Harm Reduction Outreach services to Indigenous clients living within the 14 member First Nations of the Tribal Council. The project will support hiring 2 outreach workers to provide mobile services to clients within the various nations. This project will allow outreach workers to provide information to community members about harm reduction services, supply naloxone kits, make referrals to treatment services and deliver cultural support services such as brushings.

Increasing Health Equity through Pharmacy Access and Mobile Service

Recipient: Corporation of the City of Trail

Contribution agreement total: $474,148

This project will improve access to healthcare and harm reduction services for those facing housing insecurity, mental health challenges, and substance use by creating a pharmacy window and deploying a mobile outreach van. This initiative will bring care directly to those in need, the initiative seeks to prevent overdose deaths, provide immediate health interventions, and establish long-term support.

Improving efficiency and effectiveness to save lives in overdose responses in Nanaimo

Recipient: City of Nanaimo

Contribution agreement total: $442,752

This project will enhance the life-saving capabilities of Nanaimo's Community Safety Officers by outfitting 3 responder vehicles with medical and harm reduction supplies. It will improve overdose response times, allow officers to spend more time in the community, and provide critical support to the city's unsheltered population using substances.

Tla-o-qui-aht Supported Recovery and Transition Program (Saasin House)

Recipient: Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $418,212

This project will address the overdose crisis impacting Indigenous communities by enhancing the Saasin Transition House's capacity to combat the drug and opioid crisis. in the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. It will provide essential resources and culturally relevant support to promote recovery and well-being within the community.

City of Kamloops Mobile Healthcare Outreach Van

Recipient: City of Kamloops

Contribution agreement total: $350,000

This project aims to provide mobile outreach services in Kamloops to address barriers to harm reduction, wound care, and health support for vulnerable populations affected by housing insecurity, substance use, and mental health challenges. It includes the purchase of a medically equipped van and naloxone kits, ensuring life-saving care reaches individuals directly.

Pathway to Healing

Recipient: OASIS SOCIETY FOR THE SPIRITUAL HEALTH OF VICTORIA

Contribution agreement total: $261,300

This project aims to strengthen access to and availability of prevention efforts rooted in traditional Indigenous practices to address the disproportionate rate of overdose deaths among Indigenous peoples. It offers culturally grounded programming for Indigenous individuals in Victoria who use substances or are in recovery. Activities include:

• traditional food education, such as preparation, storytelling, and Cree language lessons
• shared meal rituals
• access to healing practices like smudging, drumming, and Elder-led spiritual support.

Monthly art therapy and grief support groups, cultural workshops open to families, seasonal ceremonies, and weekly drop-in sessions will foster connection, cultural reconnection, and community healing.

Strengthening Spirits: Tahltan Wellness and Recovery Initiative

Recipient: Tahltan Band Council

Contribution agreement total: $245,000

This project will respond to the toxic drug crisis with urgency, compassion, and a commitment to health and well-being. It includes on-the-land recovery camps at Glenora, combining traditional healing with modern support, as well as quarterly harm reduction and drug awareness sessions to provide vital resources. The initiative also offers community-based wellness education programs, focusing on mental wellness, nutrition, and traditional healing, while training members in crisis response, overdose prevention, and peer support.

Islands of Stability

Recipient: SUNSHINE HOUSE INC.

Contribution agreement total: $805,064

This project will expand access to harm reduction supplies through enhanced outreach and program services. It will also provide cultural supports, including a seasonal cultural camp to improve self-perception and connection to culture for individuals affected by substance use. Additionally, the project will support 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals in accessing withdrawal management and treatment, with a full-time systems navigator dedicated to facilitating referrals.

On the Road to Healing: A Mobile Outreach Initiative for the Opioid Crisis in the Manitoba Métis Federation Northwest Region

Recipient: NORTHWEST METIS COUNCIL INC.

Contribution agreement total: $569,288

This project aims to address the opioid crisis among Red River Métis Citizens in the Manitoba Métis Federation Northwest Region by launching a Mobile Outreach Van to provide prevention, education, and resources on opioid use. The van will offer culturally relevant harm reduction education, resources like Naloxone, and case management support, helping individuals access long-term treatment and community services. The goal is to reduce opioid-related harms and fatalities, while fostering cultural understanding and supporting the health and safety of the community.

Harm Reduction Mobile Outreach

Recipient: City of Brandon

Contribution agreement total: $425,530

This project will establish a Harm Reduction Mobile Outreach service aimed at supporting homeless individuals, those in shelters, and those precariously housed by delivering essential harm reduction supplies. The service will focus on addressing immediate needs, removing barriers to harm reduction supplies, connecting individuals with addiction support services, and offering trauma-informed care.

Enhancing Mental Wellness Outreach and On-the-Land Programming for Recovery Support in Rolling River First Nation

Recipient: Rolling River First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $160,700

This project aims to improve the mental health and recovery services provided by Southquill Health Services for individuals struggling with mental health and substance use issues. By enhancing access through outreach, community engagement, and culturally rooted programs, it seeks to reduce barriers to care, expand the reach of services, and provide holistic support within the Rolling River First Nation. The project will increase access to services by acquiring a van to reach underserved community members so they are able to access essential mental wellness support. It will also offer on-the-land programming and community-based activities that integrate traditional healing practices with modern mental health approaches to address both substance use and mental health challenges in a culturally meaningful way.

Overnight Outreach

Recipient: City of Fredericton

Contribution agreement total: $578,100

This project aims to expand outreach efforts in Fredericton, New Brunswick, by adding overnight services to support vulnerable populations, particularly those affected by age, gender, or individual capacity. It will involve acquiring a Sprinter van to deliver supplies, provide transport to critical services, distribute naloxone, and offer overdose support and weather warnings year-round. The initiative seeks to alleviate pressure on emergency services while addressing the growing opioid crisis.

From Emergency to Empowerment: Urgent Wraparound Care Solutions

Recipient: City of Miramichi

Contribution agreement total: $1,530,810

This project will develop an urgent wraparound treatment center as an extension of the new Out of the Cold shelter in Miramichi to address the ongoing crisis. This trauma-informed, culturally appropriate facility will provide immediate access to critical care and services, strengthening local capacity to respond to the overdose crisis. The Center will create a more seamless and effective service delivery model for vulnerable populations in rural Miramichi.

Walking the Lands for Recovery - An Indigenous Peer Support Circle

Recipient: First Light St. John's Friendship Centre Inc

Contribution agreement total: $366,323

This initiative will create an Indigenous Peer Support Circle in an urban setting, providing culturally grounded pathways to healing for Indigenous community members facing substance use challenges, trauma, and mental health issues. This project incorporates land-based healing activities, harm reduction services, cultural healing practices, and peer support to create a safe and empowering space that aligns with Indigenous ways of knowing and healing.

Yellowknife Enhanced Street Outreach Program

Recipient: City of Yellowknife

Contribution agreement total: $903,254

This project will support the city's vulnerable populations experiencing substance use issues by expanding outreach services in key areas. The program will provide proactive engagement, harm reduction supplies, and connect individuals to health, housing, and social support services, while also collaborating with local businesses and residents to create safer, more inclusive community spaces. By increasing outreach coverage and fostering partnerships, the program seeks to reduce health risks, enhance safety, and improve outcomes for individuals in need.

Sahtu Harm Reduction and Support Program

Recipient: The Sahtu Secretariat Incorporated

Contribution agreement total: $795,404

This project will strengthen community resilience and capacity for responding to and preventing overdoses through culturally appropriate and evidence-informed activities, such as:

• providing access to overdose prevention kits (for example Naloxone)
• educating community members on overdose risk, recognition of signs of opioid overdose, and training on the administration of Naloxone
• facilitating access to trauma-informed, therapeutic support for community members experiencing substance use disorders
• hiring a Program Coordinator to oversee the administrative functions of  the program and Mobile Mental Health and Addictions Counsellor to provide comprehensive therapeutic services tailored to the needs of community members.

Town of Amherst Mobile Outreach Program

Recipient: Town of Amherst

Contribution agreement total: $364,837

This Mobile Outreach Program will be staffed and equipped to facilitate timely, accessible connections to critical recovery resources in the town of Amherst including: staffing; mobile response vehicle and service delivery. This project will remove barriers for citizens in the rural community who struggle to access essential recovery services due to logistical and systemic barriers, by connecting them to support services and crisis interventions.

The Bridge

Recipient: City of Belleville

Contribution agreement total: $3,498,129

This project aims to retrofit a building in Belleville into an integrated care hub, "The Bridge," for individuals at risk of opioid-related drug poisoning and homelessness. The hub will provide improved access to a range of services, foster greater integration among service providers, and enhance safety for clients and staff.

Urgent Connections: Collaborative Outreach and Connections to Safe Spaces to Combat Ottawa's Toxic Drug Crisis

Recipient: City of Ottawa

Contribution agreement total: $3,988,338

This initiative will deliver a collaborative outreach effort targeting Ottawa neighborhoods most affected by the toxic drug crisis and the seasonal increase in outdoor drug use. It will strengthen support by expanding the roles of peer and harm reduction outreach workers, addiction counselors, and system navigators while enhancing the capacity to provide urgent health and social services and respond effectively to emergencies. The project will deliver immediate, life-saving harm reduction services, overdose prevention and response, direct connections to essential support systems and direct pathways into safe spaces, and will enhance individuals access to basic needs, housing assistance, employment and social services and connections into substance use health treatment.

Pathways to Health: Mobile Harm Reduction Outreach for Safer Communities in Thunder Bay

Recipient: The Corporation of the City of Thunder Bay

Contribution agreement total: $237,960

This initiative will address the pressing health and housing needs of individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and the toxic drug crisis in Thunder Bay, ON. The project will provide harm reduction services through mobile outreach, offering naloxone distribution, and support for those in encampments and the Temporary Village Initiative. It will also enhance encampment response efforts by providing resources for sanitation, relationship-building, and connecting individuals to health service and other community supports.

Chatham-Kent (CK)-CORE Project (Community Overdose Response Expansion)

Recipient: Municipality of Chatham-Kent

Contribution agreement total: $574,346

This project will provide peer-led harm reduction outreach services, peer-led harm reduction training including local referral and treatment options, anti-stigma education to organizations and community members, and low-barrier community support spaces for people experiencing houselessness and people who use substances.

Bolstering Harm Reduction Resources in Peel

Recipient: Regional Municipality of Peel

Contribution agreement total: $703,517

This project will enhance current outreach efforts of the Peel Works Harm Reduction program by purchasing 2 vans and enhancing the availability and distribution of harm reduction supplies such as wound care kits, and educational materials.

Hiring Substance Use/Addictions Workers in the Shelter System

Recipient: Regional Municipality of Peel

Contribution agreement total: $279,016

With the goal of hiring 3 temporary Addiction Workers to provide surge support, the Region of Peel will build capacity of human resources in shelter systems. Addictions workers will identify the unique needs of each client and personalize treatment and recovery plans, coordinate referrals to other sources of treatment and wrap around services, and serve a key resources for crisis intervention and relapse prevention.

Kii Daanaandwengwan (The Earth is Healing Me)

Recipient: Naandwechige-Gamig Wiikwemkoong Health Centre

Contribution agreement total: $866,099

This project aims to hire a land-based healing program coordinator to lead the development and implementation of a healing program focused on connecting community members to culture and the land, helping them overcome substance use. The initiative will include hiring an addictions case manager, purchasing necessary equipment for the program, and creating culturally relevant resources like case management models and naloxone training videos.

ENAGB Indigenous Youth Addressing the Overdose Crisis

Recipient: Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig, Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying - ENAGB Youth Program

Contribution agreement total: $2,445,280

This project targets Indigenous Youth between 12 - 29 yrs of age in both Toronto and Thunder Bay. Funding will be allocated to staff Harm Reduction Managers and Outreach Workers, Mental Health and Addictions Counsellors and Program Coordinator Assistants at existing ENAGB locations. As well, daily visits will be made by staff throughout each city's encampments, and low income housing areas to provide immediate access to naloxone kits, and harm reduction supplies either by pick up or drop off and staff will promote their locations where youth can access programming and services throughout the week.

Health Outreach & Mobile Engagement Team – The “HOME” Team

Recipient: Corporation of the City of Guelph

Contribution agreement total: $2.137,344

This project will provide mobile wrap-around health care and outreach services, to those experiencing substance use issues and barriers to access traditional - place based health care services including access to addiction counselling, harm reduction and overdose prevention education and supplies, crisis management, peer support, system navigation, access to basic needs, and referrals to local services.

Urgently Alleviating Substance-Related Harms Through Transactional Outreach to Encampments

Recipient: City of London

Contribution agreement total: $1,400,000

This project will support individuals experiencing homelessness in the City of London, addressing substance-related harms and providing essential services in response to the rising overdose crisis. It will focus on meeting basic needs while offering harm reduction and overdose prevention services to help reduce health and safety risks. The initiative will assist those most affected by homelessness, including those with complex needs, by alleviating deprivation and helping them access crucial support, ultimately working toward long-term health and housing stability.

Reducing Substance Use Harms Through Basic Needs and Healthcare at 602 Queens “The Commons”

Recipient: City of London

Contribution agreement total: $444,250

This project will address health care related to overdose events, and basic needs among people who use substances and are experiencing homelessness. It will provide wraparound support to address the effects of the health and homelessness crisis on individuals experiencing homelessness in a supportive environment. Specifically, it will provide integrated health care planning, such as harm reduction education, overdose prevention support, access to harm reduction supplies, and access to overdose reversal medications such as naloxone. In addition, individuals will be provided with access to connections to wrap around substance use services and health and wellness services.

Post-care Harm Reduction and Coordination: Supporting Underhoused People Who Use Drugs

Recipient: Hamilton Public Health Services (City of Hamilton)

Contribution agreement total: $1,231,140

The goal of this project is 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 harm reduction outreach team (Project Manager, Peer Workers, Harm Reduction Workers) to increase local capacity to provide dedicated support to individuals who use drugs experiencing homelessness. It will also facilitate the hiring of a dedicated coordinator role who will define and map clear service pathways by improving communication between hospital discharge staff, paramedics, and the outreach team; organizing the dispatch and scheduling of outreach workers; collaborating with partners to map harm reduction services; integrating tracking tools and software to streamline coordination; and actively promoting the service among community partners

Reducing Drug Related Harm and Improving Well-being for Women and Gender Diverse People Impacted by the Overdose Crisis

Recipient: Hamilton Public Health Services (City of Hamilton)

Contribution agreement total: $770,650 

This project will 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. It will implement a gender-specific harm reduction mobile team and counseling supports that address substance use, gender-based violence, and parenting. This initiative will leverage partnerships to develop and disseminate best practices for gender-responsive substance use services, aiming to enhance the response to the opioid crisis at both local and national levels.

Expanding Access and Capacity for Supportive Outreach Services (SOS)

Recipient: Corporation of the County of Grey

Contribution agreement total: $1,126,700

This project aims to enhance the impact of the Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) program, which focuses on individuals with mental health and addiction issues, offering a range of life-saving interventions such as overdose reversal, mental health support, addiction support services, distribution of naloxone and other harm reduction items. It will expand the  coverage area in Grey County, increasing staffing to operate seven days a week instead of four, introducing peer support services, and  integrating an Indigenous navigator role to extend its reach to support the diverse needs of the community. This expansion will allow SOS to provide more comprehensive and culturally appropriate care to vulnerable populations, including those affected by mental health issues, addiction, homelessness, and disconnection from essential services.

MCFN Land-based Healing Program

Recipient: Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $1,013,627

This project will establish a culturally rooted, land-based healing program for the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), grounded in traditional practices such as sweat lodge ceremonies, medicine walks, and Indigenous teachings. It will also provide overdose prevention and harm reduction training, including naloxone education and kit distribution. Staff will be trained in Indigenous wellness practices and cultural competency. The program will include outreach and community events to raise awareness about addictions, the overdose crisis, and culturally appropriate support options. One-on-one peer support and systems navigation will help connect community members with addiction services, including Indigenous practitioners, crisis counselors, and healthcare providers. By promoting holistic wellness and strengthening community connections, the program will offer accessible, culturally resonant pathways to recovery and healing for MCFN members.

Pretreatment Transition Home

Recipient: Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre Inc.

Contribution agreement total: $969,335

To improve timely access to addiction treatment supports, this project proposes to operate a currently vacant, fully equipped six-bed residential Pretreatment Transition Home situated within the Ngwaagan Gamig Recovery Centre Inc. The home will provide individuals struggling with addiction with a safe and supportive environment for up to five weeks before beginning formal residential treatment. By offering early-stage support in a familiar and accessible setting, the project aims to reduce the risk of relapse and other barriers that often lead to treatment program cancellations or no-shows. This direct service addresses the urgent need for early intervention and aftercare along the continuum of addiction care, helping clients begin their recovery journey with greater stability and continuity.

Lanark County Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention Outreach Project

Recipient: The Corporation of the County of Lanark

Contribution agreement total: $745,512

This project addresses the gap in harm reduction and overdose prevention services for high-risk populations in the region. The project will deliver mobile harm reduction services directly to underserved communities. The initiative aims to reduce opioid-related harms by providing essential harm reduction resources, primary healthcare, and educational support to individuals in remote and high-risk settings. The project will also provide bystander training and overdose prevention, aiming to increase community readiness and foster a supportive community environment.

Outreach and Peer Support

Recipient: Corporation of the City of Timmins

Contribution agreement total: $693,434

This initiative aims to strengthen outreach capacity by hiring dedicated outreach and peer support workers to deliver life-saving assistance and connect individuals in crisis to essential care pathways. Outreach workers will provide community education on available supports, help clients navigate the healthcare system following a crisis, and link them to existing services such as withdrawal management and blood-borne infection services, to enhance the prevention, management, and treatment of blood-borne infections within the community.

Harm Reduction in Motion

Recipient: Regional Municipality of Niagara

Contribution agreement total: $699,306

This initiative will purchase three mobile units to support harm reduction mobile outreach efforts. It will also fund two Outreach Harm Reduction Workers who will increase awareness of harm reduction healthcare services through collaboration with partners to share resources and help the community access services. Additionally, the project will improve access to case managers and healthcare services for marginalized populations. The focus will be on youth and adults who use substances and are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness, with targeted outreach efforts to cisgender and transgender women.

Sealing the Gaps in Elgin: Building a Comprehensive Continuum of Services to Support People who Use Opioids

Recipient: The Corporation of the City of St. Thomas

Contribution agreement total: $640,326

The project aims 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 care access. Including plans to improve access to low-barrier counseling and trauma-informed care part of a system redesign to implement a stepped care model.It will also facilitate minor capital needs at the local emergency shelter to better suit its role as a service hub for the target population.

Emergency Transitional Response (ETR): Bolstering Capacity of the Health, Housing and Shelter Sector to Provide Harm Reduction and Overdose Response Supports

Recipient: City of Toronto (Toronto Shelter and Support Services)

Contribution agreement total: $621,278

This project aims to enhance the capacity to support people who use drugs by establishing a harm reduction emergency outreach team. The team will provide harm reduction and overdose prevention services in priority shelters, encampments, and supportive housing environments. Using peer-led, anti-stigma, anti-discrimination, and trauma-informed approaches, the team will offer critical support. Additionally, the project will provide grief and loss programming to those affected.

Opioid Outreach

Recipient: Regional Municipality of Durham Region

Contribution agreement total: $516,889

This project will establish a rapid response Opioid Outreach Team in Durham Region to enhance access to therapeutic intervention and harm reduction services for individuals affected by the opioid crisis. The team, staffed by two registered social workers, will provide on-the-spot therapy and support for addiction and withdrawal management. Operating out of a fully equipped outreach vehicle, the team will work for one year to address urgent opioid-related needs.

Healing and Recovery Space

Recipient: Kenora District Services Board

Contribution agreement total: $2,738,029

The project aims 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. It will enhance the Sioux Lookout Emergency Shelter and Safe Sobering Site by hiring specialized staff, such as Integrated Community Case Managers, and expanding access to cultural and health resources. These will include on-the-land healing workshops, traditional ceremonies, and other Indigenous-led spiritual support sessions. The shelter will undergo retrofits to increase its capacity and create designated spaces for harm reduction and cultural programming. These upgrades will include areas for land-based learning, a kitchen for meal preparation, enhanced safety measures, and dedicated cultural spaces such as a sacred fire area. Together, these improvements will help meet the growing demand for emergency shelter services and ensure the delivery of comprehensive, immediate, and culturally appropriate care, along with clear pathways to recovery.

Renfrew County Substance Use, Mental Health and Housing Mesa Systems Integrated Navigation Tool

Recipient: Municipal Corporation of the County of Renfrew

Contribution agreement total: $243,500

This project will create a system navigation tool tailored to the cultural context and specific needs of both service providers and users. The tool will make it easier to access inclusive and relevant supports for substance use, mental health, and housing. It will also include an education and training plan to ensure effective implementation within six months across Renfrew County.

P.A.T.H (Prevention Addiction & Treatment Hub)

Recipient: Corporation of the County of Lennox and Addington

Contribution agreement total: $224,471

This  project  will 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 across Lennox and Addington. P.A.T.H. will build local capacity to address urgent overdose-related needs and reduce pressure on emergency services.

Bridging Gaps: Enhancing Peterborough’s Outreach and Harm Reduction Capacity for Overdose Prevention

Recipient: The Corporation of the City of Peterborough

Contribution agreement total: $378,403

This project aims to enhance harm reduction and outreach services in Peterborough, Ontario, by addressing service gaps for high-risk populations, including those facing homelessness and substance use issues. Through multi-partner collaboration, the initiative will improve service accessibility with new outreach vans, enhance safety with security systems, provide essential supplies to build trust with vulnerable populations, and expand training to increase staff capacity in harm reduction efforts.

KSCS Mobile Outreach Van

Recipient: Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services

Contribution agreement total: $232,476

This project will support a mobile outreach service. This service will provide harm reduction materials, naloxone distribution, health assessments, referrals, and social work support, particularly for individuals experiencing houselessness and substance use issues. By directly engaging with at-risk community members, the initiative aims to prevent overdoses and connect people to essential services, addressing a critical gap in the community's response to the crisis.

Peer Support Workers and Outreach Wellness Van for Overdose Crisis Response

Recipient: Beaver Lake Cree Nation

Contribution agreement total: $322,276

This project will urgently address the rising overdose crisis in Beaver Lake Cree Nation by expanding access to culturally appropriate, trauma-informed care. Peer support workers, an outreach wellness van, and expanded harm reduction programs provide critical overdose prevention and evidence-based response services to community members.

Urgently Reducing Drug Related Harms in Edmonton

Recipient: City of Edmonton

Contribution agreement total: $1,101,944

This project aims to urgently provide supplies and support to reduce harm for vulnerable populations in Edmonton, addressing rising drug poisoning deaths. Funding will enhance outreach, provide access to safe spaces, and distribute harm reduction supplies, including nasal naloxone, to meet increasing demand.

Sunchild First Nation Mobile Response Team Medic Unit

Recipient: Sunchild Health Services

Contribution agreement total: $245,000

This project supports The Mobile Response Team Medic Unit stationed at the Sunchild First Nation Health Center. The project will significantly enhance emergency medical response in the community, reducing average response times, thereby improving healthcare access and outcomes for substance-related emergencies and ensuring timely critical care for community members.

Líl̓wat Nation On-the-Land Healing

Recipient: Lil'wat Health and Healing

Contribution agreement total: $195,860

This project will enhance emergency treatment by purchasing a vehicle to reach isolated community members struggling with substance use and by providing cultural healing through a Knowledge-Keeper’s on-the-land practices. It will also support first responders and others through Sharing Circles, fostering trauma-informed, culturally centered care within the community.

Procure wheelchair accessible bus for Sa’qw’thut Culture-Based Addictions Recovery Program

Recipient: Cowichan Tribes

Contribution agreement total: $196,000

This project will acquire a wheelchair-accessible 16–18-person bus for the Ts'ewulhtun Health Centre's Sa’qw’thut Culture-Based Addictions Recovery Program. The bus will ensure accessible transportation, removing barriers for Indigenous community members to participate in this vital culture-based recovery program.

Strong Medicine - We Will Teach Each Other - Mobile

Recipient: Tla'min Nation

Contribution agreement total: $329,550

This project aims to expand Tla’min Nation’s harm reduction program to address the toxic drug crisis impacting Indigenous communities in the qathet Regional District of British Columbia. Specifically, this project will fund a mobile outreach van to provide Indigenous-led harm reduction services, extending outreach across the Regional District.

Garden Hill and Four Arrows RHA joint proposal to reduce Opiate Overdose addiction and deaths

Recipient: Four Arrows Regional Health Authority Inc.

Contribution agreement total: $285,000

This project will expand operational capacity and improve security of Garden Hill First Nation’s Detox/Crisis Stabilization Unit trailer by adding a Modular trailer and renovating an existing trailer, as well as purchasing side-by-side vehicles to transport clients to land-based substance use prevention activities. Additionally, with ETF funding, the First Nation will distribute harm reduction supplies and support engagement with the community's high-risk population.

Four Arrows RHA Wasagamack Joint Project for Crisis Stablization Unit/Detox and Overdose prevention

Recipient: Four Arrows Regional Health Authority Inc.

Contribution agreement total: $280,000

This project will enhance Wasagamack Anisininew Nation Detox/Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) by relocating it to a more accessible and secure site, upgrading its facilities, and adding a modular office trailer for additional privacy and services. The project will also expand harm reduction outreach and land-based substance use prevention activities, supported by new transportation resources. Other activities will include training delivery, and program support.

Overdose Prevention in Moncton

Recipient: City of Moncton

Contribution agreement total: $150,000

This project will distribute naloxone to improve overdose outcomes for unhoused individuals accessing wrap-around services in Moncton. The goal of this project is to urgently reduce harms among unhoused individuals who use opioids, in response to an increase in overdose rates within the City of Moncton.

Healing Camp Retrofit Upgrades

Recipient: Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę Government

Contribution agreement total: $631,000

This project will enhance the Whiskey Jack on-the-land healing camp to better support the Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę people with recovery from addiction and overdose. By upgrading the camp's infrastructure, the project will offer individuals a safe, culturally rooted environment to reconnect with their heritage and heal, as well as support from a dedicated healing coordinator.

Ambulance Supplies and Stretcher

Recipient: Municipality of Pond Inlet

Contribution agreement total: $106,212

This project will purchase an ambulance and requisite medical supplies to equip it in the remote Inuit community of Pond Inlet, Nunavut, as well as make training on health hazards of substance use available to residents.

Beendigen's Community Healing Project

Recipient: BEENDIGEN INCORPORATED

Contribution agreement total: $141,875

This initiative will provide outreach through the purchasing of a community mobile unit through hiring workers to provide harm reduction services delivered within a wrap-around, trauma-informed and culturally-safe circle of care.

Peer Outreach Support Team Van

Recipient: Nipissing First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $192,995

The initiative will purchase an Outreach Van to provide harm reduction support, including by distributing safe consumption supplies, cold weather gear, food, as well as developing safety, harm reduction, or Wellness Recovery Action Plans (WRAP) and engaging in on-site or in-office peer support.

Accelerating Community Mobilization to Drug Poisoning Crisis: Detection, Mobile Outreach, and Trauma-Informed Care

Recipient: Corporation of the County of Lambton

Contribution agreement total: $816,500

This project will purchase 2 purpose-built Community Outreach/Clinical Vans to support the expansion of Mobile Outreach services to Indigenous communities, and provide funding for the provision of 3 trauma-informed care education sessions with the capacity to train up to 222 direct service providers.

Pathways to Resilience: Marten Falls Comprehensive Healing and Treatment Program

Recipient: Marten Falls First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $1,909,367

This program will offer immediate intervention through a Mobile Response Unit staffed with trained counselors, providing crisis outreach, counseling, and culturally relevant programming, and also connecting individuals to treatment options. This initiative aims to foster long-term recovery, resilience, and community health, bridging the gap created by the community's isolation and extended wait times for external healthcare services.

Kii Daanaandwengwan (The Earth is Healing Me)

Recipient: Naandwechige-Gamig Wiikwemkoong Health Centre

Contribution agreement total: $866,099

This project aims to hire a land-based healing program coordinator to lead the development and implementation of a healing program focused on connecting community members to culture and the land, helping them overcome substance use. The initiative will include hiring an addictions case manager, purchasing necessary equipment for the program, and create culturally relevant resources like case management models and naloxone training videos.

GB Camp Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle for Community Mobilization

Recipient: Sustainable Indigenous Solutions

Contribution agreement total: $210,995

This project will address accessibility issues by acquiring a wheelchair-accessible vehicle, enabling clients with mobility challenges to access holistic healing programs for substance use.

Returning to the land for healing

Recipient: BATTLE RIVER TREATY 6 HEALTH CENTRE INC.

Contribution agreement total: $73,600

This project seeks to enhance cultural awareness and healing for individuals and families in addiction recovery by offering a land-based healing program. Participants from Sweetgrass, Luck Man, Little Pine, and Poundmaker First Nations will have the opportunity to reconnect with the land and reclaim traditional wellness practices during a 3-month pilot program.

Knowledge Keepers and Harm Reduction in Rural Remote Yukon First Nations: Mobilizing Strengths Grounded in Culture and Community

Recipient: Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation

Contribution agreement total: $65,245

This initiative will engage Knowledge Keepers as mentors to mobilize and support community members in harm reduction and overdose prevention support activities, as well as identify ways for formal systems of care and support networks to work together more fluently.