A pair of federal ministers visited Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside neighbourhood on Saturday to announce an increase in federal funding for one of the programs doing work in the area.
Health Minister Ginette Petitpas-Taylor was making her first visit to Vancouver since being named to the post in August.
Petitpas-Taylor toured the Downtown Eastside with Defence Minister and Vancouver South MP Harjit Sajjan, visiting treatment centres and safe injection sites, including the Crosstown Clinic, Insite, and Vandu.
After the visit, the health minister described her emotional reaction to reporters.
“It was very moving, actually,” Petitpas-Taylor said. “It’s very important for us as politicians to be out on the ground and to see exactly the reality that people are faced with. For me, it was very important today to meet people with lived experience and people that are struggling with a multitude of issues, to hear from them first-hand.”
Petitpas-Taylor announced additional funding from Health Canada’s Substance Use and Addictions Program for an initiative of BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre that takes gender and trauma issues into account when providing treatment.
The new funds bring the total federal investment in the program to $842,000. The federal government spends more than $26 million annually on similar programs that prevent, treat, and reduce harm from substance use, Petitpas-Taylor said.
