Revelstoke receives funding for community harm reduction project

The City of Revelstoke is among a number of BC communities to receive funding for projects that address harm reduction and community wellness.

The BC Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions announced on Monday, March 9, that it awarded more than $900,000 in grants to 24 municipalities for local community wellness, safety and harm reduction projects. Recipient communities were provided with up to $50,000 in funding for “initiatives that build on community wellness, safety and harm-reduction efforts related to the overdose crisis and saving lives.”

Revelstoke received $33,789 for The Revelstoke Community Wellness and Harm Reduction Project. The project, which will be done in partnership with Interior Health, will build on the work done by the Revelstoke Youth Mental Health and Substance Use Collaborative and the Opioid Dialogue Project. The project will update the Revelstoke Community Substance Use Strategy with a focus on harm reduction and inclusion of people with lived and living experience throughout the process, and developing and implementing anti-stigma resources and activities.

City of Revelstoke social development coordinator Jill Zacharias told the Mountaineer online the funding will allow the city to update the current substance use strategy, which was completed in 2010.

“This funding will double the capacity to engage people with living experience and develop a city-wide harm reduction strategy,” said Zacharias, who noted that alcohol is the highest cause of death in Revelstoke. “We’re hoping to deepen the conversation and look at what we need to do as a community to keep everyone safe.”

In an October 2019 report to council, City of Revelstoke director of community economic development Ingrid Bron said consultation with key stakeholders “indicated a need to develop a community-wide harm reduction strategy that would leave a legacy, focus efforts and provide evidence-based rationale to lever resources for years to come.

“As well, it is critical to continue to conduct awareness activities and explore ways to decrease barriers to accessing local services and supports,” Bron wrote in the report.

The one-time project grants are supported by the Community Crisis Innovation Fund through the Ministry of Health and will be administered by the Community Action Initiative.

“Everyone deserves to live in a healthy and safe community,” Judy Darcy, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions said. “We know that when people come together to identify challenges and solutions, we can create vibrant communities that put residents’ wellness first.”