Breaking the Stigma: Mental Health & Addiction in Our Community

Editorial notes for this episode

• The article that Stu Campaigne wrote about the facility on Lakeshore Dr. is not connected to the CMHA NBD-NBRHC bed-based expansion. This is addressed at the 19 minute mark however it is mentioned a few times before which may cause confusion.
• The segment about mental health spending in Canada (44-minute mark) isn’t entirely clear. The 6 per cent represents the investment in mental health care as a proportion of overall health care budgets, not GDP (as Scott references, which explains his remark that this is “massive:.) In other words, on average the provinces and territories spend about 6 per cent of their healthcare budgets on mental health. In 2024-2025, the figure was 5.9 per cent in Ontario. This represents a tiny fraction of overall healthcare spending.

In this episode of Echo Essentials, we dive deep into mental health, addiction, and housing challenges in North Bay with Mary Davis & Mary Montgomery from CMHA North Bay & District. With rising homelessness, a growing opioid crisis, and shifting government policies, are we making progress or falling behind?

Key Takeaways:
✅ How mental health and addiction are deeply connected
✅ The impact of homelessness on mental health recovery
✅ Why harm reduction strategies are debated but essential
✅ What North Bay is doing to improve access to care
✅ How you can help or get support

If you or someone you know is struggling If you or someone you know needs support, contact CMHA North Bay & District at: 705 476 4088 or at their website: https://nbd.cmha.ca/