The City of Cranbrook is applying for grant money from the Health Canada Emergency Treatment Fund to address the toxic drug crisis.
If successful, the city could receive up to $2 million.
“It can only be applied by municipalities and the maximum a recipient can receive is $2 million,” said social development coordinator Marcel Germer.
“We want to look at it as a one-time funding because we don’t know if we could be successful two times in a row.”
The money would go towards projects under the Mayor’s homelessness task force.
Some of these projects could include purchasing a mobile medical van to provide outreach services, the creation of overdose outreach teams that could follow up with individuals who have recently experienced an overdose and mobile drug testing teams.
Funding could also be used for the development of a designated phone line specific to overdose calls and response, community education and road improvements to improve access to emergency services in problematic areas.
Councillor Lynnette Wray says they need to jump at opportunities like this.
“I think we need to go after these opportunities when they come up and I appreciate the collaboration that’s going on in the community,” she said.
“I fully support this application going in.”
The application is due on Nov. 7. There is no timeline on when the city will find out if they are successful.
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