On April 10, 2025, Steering Committee partners from healthcare, addiction treatment, enforcement, government, and those with lived and living experience released the Renfrew County and District Drug Strategy (RCDDS). The comprehensive strategy outlines how the more than 30 partnering organizations are committed to reducing substance use related harms across Renfrew County and District.

 

The strategy identifies 25 priorities for action and associated recommendations for implementation across each of the four pillars of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and community safety. All share the common goals of reducing drug-related harms and overdoses, enhancing community safety, providing a coordinated response to drug addiction, and ensuring individuals receive the help they need.

 

“Going forward, RCDDS partners are dedicated to achieving the priorities set out in the strategy, and plan to regularly report on progress to the community, ensuring efforts are transparent, equity-focused, non-stigmatizing and evidence-based. This is truly a collaborative approach between partners, residents and people with lived and living experience of substance use,” states Dr. Jason Morgenstern, co-chair of the Steering Committee.

 

The second co-chair, Jama Watt notes that, “Some extraordinary achievements have already been realized. In just the past year, we’ve seen the County of Renfrew’s Mesa initiative make incredible progress with addressing the root causes of homelessness, substance use, addictions, and mental health. Additionally, the same partners that came together around this strategy successfully applied for funding from Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP) to increase mobile outreach and to the Province of Ontario to establish a Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub.”

 

The Steering Committee would like to thank all the community members who took the time to complete the RCDDS Community Engagement Survey. Their valuable insight and comments helped to inform the development of the strategy and will influence the work of the RCDDS going forward.

 

An executive summary that identifies the 25 priorities, in addition to the entire strategy can be found at www.rcdhu.com/rcdds. As the strategy is implemented, residents will be able to follow its progress and monitor indicators related to the priorities through the same webpage.