Mayors from across Canada gather in Lethbridge for conference on opioid issues

Mayors from across Canada are in Lethbridge for a conference addressing opioid use, with the intent of sharing best practices to help fight the opioid crisis.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) is hosting mayors and representatives from almost 30 small to medium-sized Canadian cities.

Following a successful first conference a year ago, organizers knew they wanted to host another.

“This is a big reminder for us about what this country is all about. It’s about community. And that’s never clearer—about how community comes together to find real solutions to the hardest problems—than when you talk in the small cities and towns,” said Alexander Caudarella, CCSA CEO.

Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen attended the first conference last year in Timmins, Ont.

He sees a huge benefit to having so many leaders in one room.

“So happy to be able to host mayors from coast to coast to coast here and the many different leaders in the communities and to hear some of the challenges, but not only the challenges—some of the successes,” said Hyggen.

While the opioid crisis has had a wide-reaching impact, small cities have been feeling the brunt of the effects.

Many have had to come up with new responses to combat rising deaths.

But sharing what’s worked in one city can help the situation in another.

“There’s the benefit of not only hearing about similarities and some of the realities and experiences in many of our communities, but also the sharing of best practices, of lessons learned,” said Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau.

Efforts to combat opioids appear to be working.

Opioid overdose deaths are dropping in most of Canada.

Between 2023 and 2024, Lethbridge saw a nearly 65 per cent drop in overdose deaths.

But leaders say there’s still work to be done.

“The overdose rate, although it’s gone down, is still too high. It’s those folks that are dying alone at home, too. … We always think that there are those that are homeless on the streets, but that’s not it. There’s professionals that are at home—dying at home alone,” said Hyggen.

Since 2016, nearly 50,000 Canadians have died from an opioid overdose.