Danielle Smith reiterates Alberta's committment to addictions recovery
Hundreds of people are participating in a national two-day conference in Calgary focusing on addiction and recovery, which also heard Alberta Premier Danielle Smith share everything her government is doing to help those struggling with mental illness and addictions.
Canada's Capital Recovery Conference will run April 3 and 4.
The conference says it's expecting 2,000 people to attend and will cover a range of topics, including Alberta's current model of care.
It begins only a day after the Alberta government announced significant changes to its addiction services.
In a major restructuring on Tuesday, Premier Danielle Smith unveiled two new agencies to deliver mental health and addiction services.
Recovery Alberta will be tasked with delivering mental health and addiction services currently covered by Alberta Health Services.
The province is also establishing a new Crown corporation called the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence.
In her address at the conference on Wednesday, Smith reiterated the announcement and highlighted the rest of the work her government has done to improve addiction and mental health recovery in Alberta.
"For decades, mental health and addiction was an afterthought at the policy table," she said. "But by dedicating our efforts and a full ministry on mental health and addiction, we are giving it the priority status it deserves."
Smith highlighted Alberta's committment to same-day services through 211, additional funding for treatment spaces, improving access to medication-based treatment, the completion of a number of recovery communities and supports for Alberta's Indigenous communities.
"Since 2021, deaths from alcohol are down 60 per cent, deaths from methamphetamine are down 41 per cent, deaths from cocaine are down 61 per cent," Smith said, adding that deaths from other drugs are also down.
Smith also said a number of other dignitaries will be attending the conference, in the hopes of learning more from Alberta's example.
"It is the largest recovery capital conference that you've ever had," Smith said.
"You're going to have to find a larger venue next year."
The Alberta model is recovery-focused — and the province insists it's working.
But when you look at total drug poisonings, more than 1,800 Albertans died in the first 10 months of 2023, putting the province on track for a record year of overdose deaths once the final two months are counted.
Critics like the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), a union which represents health workers like paramedics, say Alberta's abstinence-only policy has failed, and the province must switch to an evidence-based policy directed by health workers.
The HSAA is attending the conference and will share more information this week on a call on the UCP government to change its view on addiction services.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Is there a cost to convenience? Canada approves new cancer immunotherapy treatment
A new cancer treatment recently approved in Canada promises to cut treatment time down to just minutes, but experts have differing opinions on whether it's what's best for patients.
Air Canada walks back new seat selection policy change after backlash
Air Canada has paused a new seat selection fee for travellers booked on the lowest fares just days after implementing it.
Canada's new dental program offering hope of free care to millions but many dentists aren't signed up
A new Canadian dental care program is offering the hope of free care to millions, but while 1.7 million people have signed up for the plan, only about 5,000 dentists have done the same.
Province boots mayor and council in small northern Ont. town out of office
An ongoing municipal strike, court battles and revolt by half of council has prompted the province to oust the mayor and council in Black River-Matheson.
King Charles III returns to public duties with a trip to a cancer charity
King Charles III will return to public duties on Tuesday when he visits a cancer treatment charity, beginning his carefully managed comeback after the monarch’s own cancer diagnosis sidelined him for three months.
NDP says Ottawa's new grocery task force isn't living up to government promises
The federal government says the task force it created to monitor and investigate grocery retailers' practices has not conducted any probes and doesn't have a mandate to take enforcement action.
A group of Toronto tenants have been on a rent strike for a year and say there's no resolution in sight
Dozens of tenants in Toronto's Thorncliffe Park area have now been withholding their rent for one year, and it’s unclear when the dispute will end.
U.K. police arrest man wielding a sword in east London, 5 people are taken to the hospital
A man wielding a sword attacked members of the public and two police officers on Tuesday in the east London community of Hainault before being arrested, police said.
Archeologists search for remnants of Halifax's 250-year-old wall that surrounded the city
Archeologist Jonathan Fowler is using ground-penetrating radar to search for historic evidence of the massive wall that surrounded Halifax more than 250 years ago.