Lack of housing, addiction and mental health are creating the perfect storm
July 16, 2024
By Julie Fitz-Gerald
Oshawa, Ont., Mayor Dan Carter meets regularly with parents whose children have died from drug overdoses on his streets. Seated in Mayor Carter’s office, they look him in the eye and reveal the nightmare they’ve lived as they tried to save their child from addiction. “Municipalities live this day in and day out. Parents call and say, ‘My child died on your streets, Mr. Mayor.’ My job is to listen, not to defend, but to listen.”
From the streets of Vancouver to the shores of the Maritime provinces, firefighters across the country are responding to increased calls related to drug overdoses, mental health crises and encampment-related issues. Municipalities say they’re looking for innovative and collaborative solutions – but they need all levels of government at the table.
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