Canada announces more than 13 million dollars in funding to support emergency treatment and community recovery programs for Indigenous and vulnerable populations affected by the illegal drug crisis across Northern and Western provinces

Across Northern and Western Canada, communities are facing a growing emergency tied to illegal drug use.

The Government of Canada is taking swift action through the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF), part of a broader effort under the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP).

These initiatives are designed to quickly provide communities with the tools, funding, and resources needed to address the immediate impacts of substance use and related mental health challenges.

The ETF focuses on rapid responses, while SUAP backs innovative, time-limited projects that emphasize prevention, harm reduction, and treatment.

Combined, these programs aim to strengthen local capacity and deliver culturally relevant, community-led solutions.

Health Canada Invests Over $13 Million in 23 Projects

Health Canada is investing more than $13 million to support 23 projects in regions that need it most.

From mobile outreach vans in remote territories to culturally informed healing camps for Indigenous communities, the funding is helping projects meet urgent needs and reach populations most affected by the crisis.

British Columbia: Healing Camps, Emergency Hubs, and Youth Programs

Several First Nations in BC are receiving significant funding to expand services:

• Ehattesaht First Nation – $1.44 million for healing camps, outreach, and new modular buildings providing essential facilities for members facing mental health and substance use challenges.
• Ahousaht First Nation – $1.07 million to develop four Emergency Treatment Hubs, connecting community members with critical support in key locations including Port Alberni, Nanaimo, and Victoria.
• Nazko First Nation – $1.02 million for a youth hub, harm reduction supplies, and outreach programs to serve even the most remote areas.
• Iskut Band Council – $972,000 for culturally grounded pre-care, aftercare, and youth healing camps.
• Tsay Keh Dene Nation – Total $1.78 million with an amendment to improve opioid crisis response, mental health support, and cultural healing programs.

Other BC initiatives include recovery and transition programs for Westbank First Nation, wellness camps for Tahltan Band Council members, and outreach vans to reduce barriers for Indigenous clients in Kamloops and Castlegar. The University of Victoria’s CAPE project is also receiving funding to update alcohol policy evaluation research across Canada.

Alberta: Crisis Intervention and Peer Support Expansion

Alberta communities are focusing on immediate crisis interventions and harm reduction:

• Kehewin Cree Nation – $1 million to retrofit trailers into safe, stigma-free spaces for mental health and addictions recovery.
• Wood Buffalo Wellness Society – $410,500 to hire outreach workers connecting substance users with resources and cultural programs.
• Beaver Lake Cree Nation – $339,343 for peer support workers, wellness vans, and expanded harm reduction initiatives.
• Little Red River Cree Nation – $65,090 for naloxone distribution, harm reduction, and staff training to reduce overdose risks.

Saskatchewan: Building Resilience Through Indigenous Resources

Saskatchewan projects are combining prevention, outreach, and training to tackle substance use:

• Ahtahkakoop Health Centre – $3.15 million to provide naloxone training, family education, and youth engagement programs.
• City of Yorkton – $926,625 for an outreach coordinator to assist people in crisis with access to care.
• City of Regina – $933,800 for peer-led street outreach and mobile vans to connect unsheltered individuals with mental health and addiction supports.
• Battle River Treaty 6 Health Centre – $52,625 to train crisis teams and improve coordinated overdose response.

Manitoba: Mobile Outreach and Substance Use Support

Manitoba initiatives are focusing on mobile outreach and newcomer populations:

• Northwest Metis Council – $655,788 for a mobile van offering harm reduction education, naloxone, and case management support.
• Elmwood Community Resource Centre – $31,861 to support people who use substances, with a focus on newcomers who have completed treatment programs.

Yukon: Land-Based Healing and After-Hours Outreach

In Yukon, culturally relevant programs are leading the way:

• Shäwthän Näzhí: Healing With The Land Society – $2.09 million to support Indigenous youth and adults in achieving sobriety through on-the-land programming, circles, and ceremonies.
• Council of Yukon First Nations – $45,000 to expand after-hours and weekend outreach in Whitehorse, providing clothing, food, harm reduction supplies, and cultural connection.

What’s Next?

These initiatives are only the beginning.

By increasing local capacity and providing culturally sensitive, community-led programs, Health Canada aims to reduce overdoses, strengthen recovery, and prevent future harms.

Communities will continue tracking outcomes, with the potential to scale successful programs to other regions facing similar challenges.

Efforts will also include expanding mobile outreach, training more peer support workers, and integrating traditional healing practices alongside modern treatment strategies.

Monitoring and evaluation will guide the next phase of investments and interventions to ensure they reach the people who need them most.

Summary

Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund and SUAP programs are providing more than $13 million to 23 projects across Northern and Western Canada.

From healing camps and Emergency Treatment Hubs in British Columbia to crisis intervention trailers in Alberta, resiliency programs in Saskatchewan, mobile outreach in Manitoba, and land-based healing in Yukon, communities are receiving rapid, targeted support for the illegal drug crisis.

These programs focus on treatment, recovery, prevention, and harm reduction, using culturally relevant approaches and modern intervention strategies to address one of Canada’s most pressing public health challenges.