The Board of Health for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health approved sending a letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford asking for funding support for The Bridge Hub in Belleville.
The Bridge is a proposed meals and social services hub that is hoped to be created by repurposing the former Banquet Centre at 1 Alhambra Square.
This past February, the city declared a state of emergency after emergency services responded to 17 overdoses in a 24-hour period.
In a three-week stretch between February 25 and March 16, there were six suspected drug-related deaths in the region.
The letter to Premier Ford outlines the city’s response to the overdose crisis and the need for the services hub in the community.
“As part of this model, harm reduction and addictions services will help address the current gap in supports and services for people who use drugs in our region,” chair of the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health, Jan O’Neill says in the letter.
“On behalf of the Hastings Prince Edward Board of Health, I would like to emphasize our full support for provincial investment towards ongoing operations of this important community initiative.”
You can read the full letter at the health unit’s website.
