Federal government spending $8M on addiction projects in Atlantic Canada

The federal government is spending $8 million on nine community projects in Atlantic Canada to target addiction.

The federal government is spending $8 million on nine community projects across Atlantic Canada that aim to support people living with addiction.

The money comes through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions program, which funds local groups that help people move from treatment to recovery.

In Moncton, more than $540,000 over four years will go to the YWCA’s Mountain Pathways program. It’s designed to help more than 175 women and gender-diverse individuals rebuild their lives after treatment.

I think we have to recognize that the opioid crisis we are facing is a public health crisis,” said Moncton–Riverview–Dieppe MP Ginette Petitpas Taylor. “Every day we are seeing people dying. And again, these are not just statistics. These are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters.”

Federal officials say the opioid crisis remains a national public-health emergency, and community-based supports like these can save lives and help people recover.

Officials said many of the funded programs – including two in Moncton – are already underway.

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