Tom Vair, chief administrative officer at the City of Sault Ste. Marie, will suggest to city council on Monday that it may be time to give up hope for a health equity centre in Sault Ste. Marie.
In 2018, councillors approved a resolution calling for the city to work with other community partners to assess need for harm reduction and health equity services, specifically in Jamestown.
Health equity is created when people have fair opportunity to reach their fullest health potential.
That implies reducing avoidable differences in social and environmental factors including income, social status, race, gender, education and physical environment.
"Since the resolution was passed in 2018, several significant developments have occurred," Vair said in a report prepared for Mayor Shoemaker and councillors.
"The COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on the timing of the response to this council resolution. Further, community stakeholders were previously working together on the potential to establish a safe-consumption site (location not determined) when the province announced pending legislation known as the Community Care and Recovery Act banning safe consumption sites within 200 metres of schools and daycares.
"The province subsequently announced that it was closing ten existing consumption sites by April 1, 2025 and transitioning to a new model featuring Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs.
"Community stakeholders pivoted to developing an application for a HART Hub and, as council and the community are aware, Sault Ste. Marie was successful in obtaining funding for a HART Hub.
"Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Sault Ste. Marie/Algoma branch will lead the implementation of the HART Hub in collaboration with other community stakeholders."
Our HART Hub will be in the Community Resource Centre located at 721 Wellington St. East, the former Sacred Heart Catholic School.
"On March 22, 2025, the federal government announced that the city was successful in its application to the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF). This funding will address the mental health, addictions, and overdose crisis in Sault Ste. Marie by creating a dedicated, 24/7 community outreach and wellness response team. The team will provide low-barrier access to medical, mental health, addiction, harm reduction, and housing support for vulnerable, high-needs populations both on the street, in supportive housing, and at key community locations," Vair said.
"The city had to be the lead applicant on the ETF funding application due the funding criteria and staff worked closely with the CMHA, Social Services and other community stakeholders to develop the application. The total funding is $3,557,503 over the next two years, and the city will enter into an agreement with CMHA to deliver the program on the city’s behalf.
"The mobile wellness services will be able to visit locations across the community, including the James Street area. Given these significant investments in the community to address mental health and addictions challenges, staff suggest that work to advance a separate health equity centre be discontinued.
"Staff will work with community partners to monitor the outcomes and results of these new services in the community and work with mayor and council to continue to advocate for ongoing investments in community health services as required."