Partners share hopes for Kenora, Ont.'s Indigenous-led hub for homelessness, addictions support

Community partners in Kenora, Ont., are preparing to launch one of two of the province's only Indigenous-led Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) hubs.

The northwestern Ontario hub is being led by Ogimaawabiitong, known as Kenora Chiefs Advisory (KCA), in partnership with the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB).

It's described as "an enhancement and revitalization of the existing Kenora Emergency Shelter and Clinical Services Hub," which is operated by the local Canadian Mental Health Association branch.

"It really is about an opportunity for collaboration in the area, recognizing that this particular model is advancing access to supportive housing, addiction support, mental health, all of what we've expressed and what the model itself expresses in supporting individuals who are vulnerable and or unhoused across the province," said KCA's executive director, Jennifer Dreaver, in a media scrum on Thursday.

With the Kenora HART hub's approval comes support for the integration of 67 supportive housing units into the system of care, 30 of which have already been established at the Norwood apartments in town.

Henry Wall, CEO of KDSB, said they're looking at converting more community housing into supportive units to help people transition from the shelter system "into something that is more supportive, is more stable."

The HART hub model was first announced by the provincial government in the summer after it introduced new rules about the proximity of supervised consumption sites to schools and child-care centres — forcing 10 sites to close across the province by the end of March.

Unlike supervised consumption sites, HART hubs will not allow supervised drug consumption, safer supply or needle exchange programs.

In all, 27 HART hubs have been announced across Ontario, with Kenora and Sault Ste. Marie seeing the only Indigenous-led hubs.

It really is about an opportunity for collaboration in the area, recognizing that this particular model is advancing access to supportive housing, addiction support, mental health.- Jennifer Dreaver, executive director of Kenora Chiefs Advisory

"This selection reflects our community's commitment to addressing homelessness and addiction and highlights the collaborative efforts of numerous local organizations and community members," said Kenora Mayor Andrew Poirier in an email to CBC News.

"I look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on those in need and on our residents."

None of the partners involved have said how much money the province is contributing.

'Majority' experiencing homelessness are Indigenous

Dreaver said the Kenora HART hub model can be thought of as a system of services. It brings a number of additional supports to the city, including:

• Primary care.
• Case management.
• Mental health and addictions services.
• Access to land-based, traditional healing.

The goal is to build on the community's existing services while avoiding duplication, and create better working relationships between partners, Dreaver explained.

"What I know we've all been accused of over time is not working collaboratively together — that for patients or clients … [in] their experience moving across supportive services between all of our organizations, that we could do a lot better job together in supporting that continuity of care and those warm handoffs.

"That's what we put ourselves to task for, and this is that vehicle," she said.

Chief Waylon Scott of Wabaseemoong, Chief Chris Skead of Wauzhushk Onigum Nation and Chief Lorraine Cobiness of Niisaachewan all expressed their support for the Kenora HART hub during Thursday's media scrum.

Scott said he feels hopeful the new model "will help make sure that First Nation community members no longer fall through the cracks through shelter and mental health and addiction services in the urban setting."

"This includes better supports for people when they transition to and from access to treatment for addictions, as well as [holistic] wrap-around care for well-being that includes ceremony if one so chooses," Scott said.

The KDSB found at least 500 people were experiencing homelessness in its service area during its last point-in-time count in October 2024. Of those, 65 per cent were residing in Kenora.

More than 60 per cent of people who completed a survey during the count identified themselves as First Nations, Métis or of other Indigenous ancestry.

"[The] majority of individuals in this region that experience homelessness are First Nation, and so this had to be a different model, it had to be an Indigenous-led model," said Wall.

Shift from supervised consumption

In 2023, the Northwestern Health Unit released a needs assessment where it recommended supervised consumption services be introduced in Dryden, Fort Frances, Kenora and Sioux Lookout, though none of the communities have received them.

Dr. Jonny Grek, a family physician who formerly offered street medicine services to the community's most vulnerable, has been a long-time advocate of supervised consumption services and a harm reduction approach to addiction.

When asked about the HART hub model coming to Kenora, Grek acknowledged the challenges of getting community support for supervised consumption sites.

"There's a part of me which kind of accepts the change in direction, I think, that we're all facing with regards to addictions care and perhaps some of the expectations from government and politicians as well," Grek said.

"We've talked a lot about the different ways to support [people who use drugs], and I would say consistently come back to the fact that we need kind of a one-stop shop place where people can have all of their needs met."

He said he feels hopeful that the Kenora HART hub can become such a place that addresses people's needs for housing, primary care and human connection.

There are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to what the hub will look like and where each service will be offered, but Grek said he looks forward to seeing Indigenous engagement as a central component.

"I'm really happy to see Kenora's different partners come together to really collaborate on something that will be really meaningful to the folks and the community at large."