With 15 opioid-related deaths in Haliburton County between 2019-2023, it’s hoped a new County of Haliburton program can reduce overdose harms across the Highlands.

The County has secured a nearly $1.2 million federal government grant to offer outreach to vulnerable populations.

Haliburton County Paramedic Service director, Michael Slatter, and director of community outreach, Sue Tiffin, spoke about the successful federal grant application at an April 22 County council meeting.

It’s for a substance use and addictions program emergency treatment fund (ETF).

They said $1,176,390 has been approved towards eligible expenditures, including an outreach van, safety equipment, medical supplies, and staffing support and training, during the fiscal year 2026-2027. The start is backdated to April 1.

Sustainability of the program from April 1, 2027 and onward will rely on budgetary approval by County council.

Slatter said Haliburton County currently has a collaborative community mobile outreach program “within which this project can build on.”

Tiffin added that, according to Lakelands Public Health, the region has experienced a higher hospitalization rate for drug poisoning than the provincial average, with fentanyl involved in 86 per cent of opioid-related deaths in 2023.

‘Mobile outreach programs are essential in filling service gaps’

“Although Haliburton County reported fewer deaths in 2024 compared to previous years, the unpredictability and toxicity of the unregulated drug supply continue to pose a significant threat to community health.” She mentioned the 15 opioid-related deaths in the County from 2019-2023, according to Lakelands Public Health, in a joint written report with Slatter.

Slatter said the crisis is compounded by geographic isolation, limited access to health care services, and social stigma, all discouraging people from seeking help and making it difficult to deliver timely interventions.

In 2022, the County relied on a single addictions’ worker. Since June 2023, it’s built a larger outreach program with numerous partners offering on-site support with community paramedicine services, harm reduction services, income tax, heat and hydro programs, housing and homelessness services, literacy and employment programs, support with food insecurity, and mental health and addiction services.

Slatter said, “the idea is we’ll still continue with the clinics that are run regularly throughout the County, but add a mobile component. The idea is to reach vulnerable populations throughout the County as a whole, seven days a week.

“The idea is to attend in locations where people who use drugs might congregate. The team would be available to follow up with people who have had an event whether they go to the hospital or not. The goal is to bring services to them and provide care and support in their environment.”

Acute need

Tiffin said research from the Wellington Guelph drug strategy highlights that mobile outreach programs are essential in filling service gaps, especially in remote areas. She added these programs provide low-barrier access to harm reduction supplies, health services, and peer support, often reaching individuals who are disconnected from traditional health-care systems.

By deploying a unit in all weather, Haliburton County Paramedic Services, “will be able to reach individuals of all ages where they are, provide culturally-safe and trauma-informed care, and reduce overdose-related harms in a timely and effective manner,” Tiffin said.

They’ll draw on the experience of other municipalities running a similar service. Tiffin and Slatter said they’ll get help from the University of Western Ontario Centre for Education Research & Innovation (CERI). The centre has experience in doing research on outreach programs, including the Supportive Outreach Services (SOS) program operated by Grey County. That program offers a range of life-saving interventions, such as overdose reversal, mental health support, addiction support services, distribution of naloxone and other harm reduction items.

Naloxone is a fast-acting, life-saving medication used to temporarily reverse opioid overdoses. It works within minutes, restoring breathing, and is available as a nasal spray or injection, often without a prescription.

CAO Gary Dyke said it was a significant achievement for the County and its partner municipalities. Slatter said they were one of 10 successful applicants from 400.

Coun. Bob Carter said he hoped funding can be secured as the program continues past the grant period. However, he said for now they were addressing an “unmet need both with drugs and mental health. This is going to be money well spent, and money that needs to be spent to protect our community.”

The new figurehead at Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS), Jack Hutchison, said he intends to lean on the community to help identify pressing needs and future enhancements to local health care.

He started with the organization as president and CEO March 30. The past month has been spent getting up to speed with HHHS operations and refamiliarizing himself with a community he loves. Hutchison was raised in Minden and graduated from Hal High.

“This is very much a homecoming. My mom grew up here, our family moved to Minden when I was six, so this is where most of my earliest childhood memories were made,” Hutchison said. “I didn’t know when we’d be back, but we knew we wanted to return home someday.”

His wife also grew up in Haliburton County. In 2019, despite working in Ontario’s far north on the shores of James Bay, the couple bought a cottage in the area and have been returning for visits ever since. They were here last fall on vacation when Hutchison saw the posting for his new job.

Hutchison returns to the Highlands with more than a decade’s experience in the health-care sector. He first joined the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) in 2014 as a human resources staffer, moving up the ranks to HR manager and vice president of HR and organizational development before landing the vice president of people, performance and clinical support role.

In 2022, he spent nine months with Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville as its vice president of people and culture but returned to WAHA as its chief operating officer in January 2023.

Over the past three years he’s had to navigate complex logistical challenges – of the six communities he was responsible for, four of them were fly-in only. One of those was located about 400 kilometres away from the WAHA main office.

“It taught me how important it is to be adaptable, to think on your feet and be innovative when you work in rural health care. One of the biggest pieces for me was ensuring that, no matter where someone is, that access to quality health care is the same for everyone. That’s something I’ll strive to maintain every day at HHHS,” Hutchison said.

Doing more

With the Haliburton site seeing major investment over the past couple of years, after the addition of CT and mammography and expansion of X-ray services, Hutchison said he doesn’t have a specific focus regarding new services just yet.

HHHS is still awaiting a decision from the province on plans to consolidate long-term care services in Minden, with an application to add 98 beds to Hyland Crest still pending. If approved, that would allow HHHS to repurpose Highland Wood long-term care in Haliburton.

“That area would be expanded for more acute care services for the County. We hope to add more beds… investigate what specialty services we could bring in on different days,” Hutchison said.

Haliburton County is one of the poorest regions in Ontario and Hutchison said he also wanted to boost HHHS’ social programs.

“We’re a big geography, which provides challenges to some people. We work closely with our foundation to make sure people are fed, we have folks getting 12 free meals per month funded through HHHSF. We have patient transport so people can get from their home to appointments and group sessions. We have a big impact in the community that way and it’s something I’d like to do more of.”

Hutchison said there are plans for community town halls later this year to provide updates on HHHS’ master planning process and to hear concerns from the public. He confirmed HHHS will have its annual general meeting in Minden June 25.

“I think anything we do [in terms of future improvements] has to be thoughtful and purposeful, really driven by the community and ensuring they meet the needs of our patients,” he said.

The County of Haliburton, in partnership with Haliburton Highlands Family Health Organization (HHFHO) physicians practice, and Haliburton Highlands Health Services (HHHS), said Dr. Jeet George will be joining the HHFHO, as a primary health care provider, and HHHS, as of May 1.

Dr. George has broad expertise in general practice, emergency medicine, and procedural anaesthesia. He practiced medicine in the UK for eight years before relocating to Australia. He has been practicing a combination of family, emergency and GP anesthesia in Australia for the past 17 years.

Dr. George will be rostering 700 new patients in Haliburton County and has committed to providing medical services to the Highlands for six years.

Dr. George contacted staff in February 2025 in response to a job posting on the British Medical Journal website. He and his family travelled from Australia to visit Haliburton County and did a tour of medical facilities in August 2025.

‘’My family and I are beyond excited for this big move. This started from a response to a job advertisement a bit more than a year ago. Looking at the stunning area and surroundings, we had to visit; we were captivated and bowled over when we did. The steadfast support, provided by recruitment coordinator, Wendy Welch, and the local physicians and administration staff, was instrumental in making this happen. We are finally ready and look forward to being a part of this wonderful community,” Dr. George said.

Dysart et al council has approved a near$26,000 spend to fix airflow issues at the Haliburton Family Medical Centre, though staff have warned that may not completely solve the odour issues that have plagued the facility in recent months.

CAO Tamara Wilbee told council April 28 that engineering firm Pinchin investigated the site in March and found a shortfall in outdoor air ventilation supply to some units within the building. While mould wasn’t a concern, Pinchin discovered elevated levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 13 of 27 tested locations on the first floor – with some three times the standard amount. On the second floor, three of nine locations exhibited elevated levels of CO2.

In its report, Pinchin stated the building’s airflow system was likely contributing to the issue. When temperatures within units reach their set amounts, airflow is reduced meaning less outdoor air is brought into the building, which increases CO2 levels.

The township hired Walker’s Heating and Cooling to complete an air audit of the facility. Council approved the firm installing new HRV heating systems in the Haliburton Vision Care, Hill Chiropractic and Physiotherapy and LifeLabs space and the downstairs hallway for $23,913. Another $2,000 will be spent on electrical work.

While the project wasn’t included in the 2026 budget, treasurer Brayden Robinson said it could be pulled from the $45,000 council committed to putting into a medical centre reserve fund this year.

Most businesses at the centre have remained open, but LifeLabs has been closed since March 25. Wilbee said LifeLabs has written a letter to the township asking for updates.

“They want to know what we’re doing to fix these problems,” Wilbee said.

Mayor Murray Fearrey said he’s heard from many Haliburton residents who are upset about the closure, forcing them to leave town for bloodwork. With the work still expected to take a couple of weeks to complete, the mayor asked if there was any other local facility LifeLabs could use in the interim. Councillors Nancy Wood-Roberts and Pat Casey suggested the legion.

“They need an area to do blood collection… they would need a chair, a fridge to put samples and that’s about it. It doesn’t have to be rocket science for a short-term stay,” Wood-Roberts said.

Wilbee said a trailer could also be brought into the medical centre parking lot, though noted LifeLabs has not made any request.

The CAO also suggested council put out an RFP to complete a full excavation of three sides of the building to re-waterproof it. She said pooling groundwater, which has entered the rear of the building before, is contributing to the bad odour.

Casey said that would likely be an expensive fix and could take up to a month to complete. A full report on costing and project timelines will be presented at council’s May 26 meeting.