On Monday, July 21, 2025, Hon. Marjorie Michel, Federal Minister of Health, announced $578,100 in federal funding for the John Howard Society of Fredericton (JHS), to support a new overnight outreach program that will see the JHS hire six new staff members and purchase a sprinter van to respond to emergency calls related to drug use and mental health crises. The federal funding is part of $2.8 million committed to Atlantic Canada through Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program – Emergency Treatment Fund. The funding’s purpose is to address the worsening addiction and overdose crisis in Atlantic Canada. The JHS’s daytime outreach program has operated in Fredericton for several years, but with this new funding the program will to expand its scope to offer 24 hour service. John Barrow, the Program Manager at the JHS, explained that 24 hour service allows emergency crews to offer support to Fredericton’s most vulnerable when they need it most. The City of Fredericton took an active role in ensuring the JHS received the Federal Government’s support, with City officials providing oversight during the funding application process and helping facilitate the purchase of the new sprinter van. The city’s involvement directly addresses Recommendation 32 from the City’s Community Safety Task Force Report published in May of this year, which asked for 24 hour outreach units to address health, mental health, social services.
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