Barrie seeks provincial funding for new addiction treatment hub

Barrie city councillors hope to secure funding for a new Homelessness and Addiction Response Treatment (HART) hub to provide support for individuals struggling on the streets.

This initiative comes after previous efforts to establish a safe consumption site were stalled earlier this year when the provincial government changed its approach.

In August, the province announced its push for HART hubs, pledging $378 million to set up 19 such centres across Ontario, and the City wants a piece.

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According to Mayor Alex Nuttall, the County of Simcoe is leading the charge on the application process, with support from Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre and the Canadian Mental Health Association.

Nuttall said he has had conversations with provincial politicians, including Premier Doug Ford, about the initiative prior to the province's announcement.

The Barrie mayor, a longtime supporter of this type of treatment model, believes the HART hubs would offer long-term support for those struggling with addiction.

"As you look forward over the past seven or eight years, and you see the results of what's happened with the lack of rehabilitative and treatment services, with the lack of capacity for individuals who are suffering these mental health and addictions diseases, it shows us that it's gotten out of control.

We probably should have taken a more comprehensive tack to begin with, which is to invest in treatment, to invest in rehabilitation, to invest in somebody's long-term health," Nuttall said.

City council is expected to vote on whether to endorse the plan and formally pursue funding for a HART hub at Wednesday evening's meeting.