OTTAWA, ON, March 27, 2026 /CNW/ - Communities in Canada continue to experience disproportionate harms due to the toxic drug crisis, alongside intersecting challenges related to substance use, mental health and housing insecurity. This crisis is complex and has many faces, and we need to work together at all levels to coordinate our efforts to make communities healthier and safer. 

Today, the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced more than $936,000 from the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF) for three projects across Atlantic Canada. These projects that started last spring helped to increase access to and availability of substance use health services, social supports, and culturally appropriate programming.

Through the ETF, the Government of Canada provides funding to municipalities and First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities to address urgent needs related to the toxic drug crisis. The ETF supports treatment and recovery, as well as prevention and harm reduction services. The organizations that have received funding through the ETF provide a range of urgent, immediate health services, social supports, and cultural programming that save lives and improve health outcomes in their communities.

Quotes

"We recognize that local and Indigenous communities are best positioned to understand the impacts of this crisis and the unique needs of their people. Their leadership ensures that care is delivered with compassion, respect, and cultural understanding. The initiatives announced today expanded access to substance use health services, strengthened social supports, and enhanced the availability of culturally appropriate programming for those who needed it most."

The Honourable Marjorie Michel
Minister of Health

Quick Facts

• Budget 2024 provided $150 million over three years for an ETF to support municipalities and Indigenous communities in providing rapid responses to the toxic drug crisis.
• To date, the ETF has provided over $113 million to 110 projects across Canada.
• On October 6, 2025, Health Canada launched a call for proposals under the ETF for projects for the 2026/27 fiscal year. New projects selected for funding are set to begin in spring and summer 2026.

Associated Links

• Emergency Treatment Fund
• Additional information on the call for proposals
• Backgrounder: Responding to urgent needs in Atlantic communities impacted by the toxic drug crisis

SOURCE Health Canada (HC)