Particularly in the north, the opioid crisis is top of mind this Ontario election

When Felicia Fahey heads to the ballot box June 2, her cousin, Steven Legault, will be top of mind. In September 2020, Legault died of an accidental overdose.

"It just rocked our entire family. He was just like a brother to me. … to see him succumb to something that was so preventable was just devastating," said Fahey, who lives in Greater Sudbury. 

For those touched by the opioid crisis, the toll of addictions and a toxic drug supply is a constant and growing concern. For many Ontarians — particularly those in the north — it is an important election issue as well. 

"It's something that can't be put on the back-burner, or we're going to go another four years seeing those numbers just keep rising and it just can't happen," Fahey said. "We have to have something done this year." 

Opioid-related deaths continue to soar throughout the province, with northern Ontario hit particularly hard. The most recent numbers from the province's chief coroner indicate that last year, 2,819 Ontarians died due to opioids, a figure that includes both confirmed and probable opioid-related deaths. 

While the overdose crisis is affecting all parts of Ontario — and the country — the toll in northern Ontario is disproportionate. The six public health units with the most deaths per capita in 2021 were all in northern Ontario, with Thunder Bay at the top of the list.

Public Health Sudbury and Districts, which topped the list in 2020, saw a slight drop, with 100 probable and confirmed deaths in 2021, compared with 106 the year before. 

"These are not numbers; these are human beings, these are members of our community that are no longer with us," said Amber Fritz, a social service worker with Réseau Access Network in Sudbury. 

Depending on who you ask, there are different views on the best way to address the opioid crisis. But those touched by it agree that massive investments are needed.

Felicia Fahey recalls how difficult it was to help her cousin access addictions treatment. 

"It takes people that are suffering from addiction a hard enough time to ask for help. And then when they finally ask for help, they're either not given help, they don't know who to ask for help, or when they finally find those connections they're told that we can get you into a rehab program in another year, or another eight months," Fahey said. 

She wants to see significant investments in mental health and addictions treatment, as well as more police enforcement to get drugs off the street. 

At Monarch Recovery Services in Sudbury, chief executive officer Roxane Zuck said a recent $2.5 million in funding from the province for 15 new beds at Monarch will "make a huge difference for the individuals that we serve. But it's just the tip of the iceberg." 

Here is some of what the main parties are pledging: