New Westminster, BC — The City of New Westminster’s Crises Response Pilot Project is a recipient of $1,466,230 from the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF). This funding from Health Canada is meant to help municipalities and Indigenous communities respond to the public health crisis, in particular the issues related to an illegal synthetic and poisoned drug supply. The $1.46M will be disbursed over a two-year period.

“This much-needed funding from Health Canada allows the City of New Westminster to address these three interconnected crises of homelessness, mental health and substance use,” says Mayor Patrick Johnstone. “We are committed to doing everything we can to reducing harm, connecting people to care, and keeping our communities safe.”

The City’s successful submission, “The City of New Westminster’s Crises Response Pilot Project,” will work towards a number of goals as outlined in the recently released 2025 Crises Response Pilot Project Roadmap. Some examples of what the project intends to achieve through this funding includes:

• Connecting people to a continuum of services and supports related to the three crises, including focus and actions on substance use.
• Advocating for permanent supportive housing and shelter beds with wrap-around supports.
• Fostering greater collaboration between the City and service providers through expanding outreach teams and exploring a situation table approach to improve case management and information sharing.
• Addressing discarded drug paraphernalia and related biohazards in the community.

“We are very appreciative to receive financial support from Health Canada,” says Lisa Spitale, Chief Administrative Officer. “Being awarded this funding validates the City of New Westminster’s pilot project approach to addressing these three crises at the municipal level.”

The City of New Westminster is one of 65 successful applicants for ETF funding and the only successful applicant in British Columbia. 300 proposals were submitted across the country. Funding for the ETF comes from the Federal Government’s Budget 2024. To learn more about the ETF, please visit www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/substance-use/emergency-treatment-fund-2024.

Launched in September 2024, the Crises Response Pilot Project is a two-year pilot aimed at addressing homelessness, mental health and substance use in New Westminster. For more information on the Crises Response Pilot Project, please visit www.newwestcity.ca/crises-response-project.   

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Contact:

Ria Renouf
Communications Coordinator, Crises Response Pilot Project
City of New Westminster
or 778-789-0573