Mayors push Trudeau on housing dollars as step to address opioid crisis
OTTAWA — The mayors of Canada’s biggest cities are urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to unleash more federal resources in order to help municipal governments combat the growing problem of fentanyl overdoses.
The opioid crisis is a national emergency that can only be solved with federally co-ordinated national, provincial and municipal efforts, plus additional investment in harm reduction and treatment facilities, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson told a news conference in Ottawa.
“Otherwise, the toll will be off the charts and the tragedy will unfold in these months and years ahead,” he said.
“Unless we get very clear co-ordination and leadership from the federal government to pull provinces and cities together, and significant resources to invest in treatment and supports for addictions, we’re going to see a horrific toll here.”