This new vending machine in North Bay, Ont., has free health and wellness supplies

Outside the North Bay and Parry Sound Health Unit headquarters there is a new vending machine. But it's not full of junk food and sugary drinks. 

This vending machine is filled with items like naloxone kits, HIV self-testing kits, wound-care supplies, menstrual kits, \and seasonal essentials such as ponchos, water bottles, socks, gloves and foil blankets. 

And unlike most vending machines, every item inside is free.

North Bay is the 15th community in Canada to participate in the Our Healthbox program.

The program was developed by Sean B. Rourke, a researcher at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

North Bay is the second community in northern Ontario to host one of the vending machines after Temiskaming Shores got one earlier this year.

Rourke said more than 10,000 people across the 15 communities have used the vending machines so far.

"We encourage people to get not only for themselves, but for their partners, or peers or other friends," he said.

Rourke said Our Healthbox's goal is to get the vending machines into 100 cities and towns across Canada.

Each community decides what goes in the vending machine, and he said there's no limit on the number of items people can take. 

"People take things that they need for their health and well-being and their safety, and we just keep on filling it," Rourke said.

"That's been the approach."

Filling a gap

Stuart Nichols, the peer outreach support team lead at the True Self Debwewendizwin program run by Nipissing First Nation, said in a news release that the vending machine in North Bay helps fill a gap in harm reduction for drug users.

"North Bay has not had an around-the-clock needle syringe program since 2017, which has made it harder for people to get harm reduction supplies when they need them," Nichols said.

"Our North Bay Healthbox fills this gap in services and responds to  the voices of people with lived experience." 

The machine in North Bay is open 24/7 and has an interactive touchscreen which provides some public health information, including community drug alerts.