Belleville mayor ‘disappointed’ by province’s response so far to local drug crisis
Posted Feb 20, 2024 02:55:33 PM.
Last Updated Feb 20, 2024 02:55:37 PM.
The mayor of Belleville, Ont., says he is disappointed that the province has not yet committed to providing funding for an urgently needed health and social-services hub and a detox centre in the community.
Mayor Neil Ellis says he met with area MPP Todd Smith and others last week and was essentially told that money is not available right now and that the city would have to wait.
Ellis had asked the province for $2 million in funding to help kick-start construction of a new centralized hub that will offer addictions and mental health services, as well as money to open a detox centre.
The request came after Belleville’s emergency crews responded to 17 drug overdoses in just 24 hours earlier this month, prompting the mayor to declare a local state of emergency.
A spokesperson for Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones says a submission from the Canadian Mental Health Association Hastings Prince Edward remains under review.
The spokesperson says the province is providing over $216,000 in one-time funding to immediately increase the presence of first responders in Belleville’s downtown core, and to increase staffing at local support and outreach services.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2024.
