Mental health issues higher in young women: report
Girls and young women in Canada faced nearly double the rate of mental health issues in 2022 compared to the general population — but fewer than half got formal support, according to Statistics Canada.
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CTV News
10 minutes ago
- CTV News
More than 2,200 died of opioids in Ontario last year as numbers trend downward: data
Fentanyl is heated in sterile water using a cook kit in a consumption room at Moss Park Consumption and Treatment Service, in Toronto, on Thursday, Jan.9 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young TORONTO — More than 2,200 Ontarians died from opioids last year, a 15 per cent decrease from 2023, newly released data from the Office of the Chief Coroner shows. 'What goes through my head is a small degree of optimism in the fact that we have seen less people die last year, which is very good, but that's within a context of 2,231 people dying last year,' Dr. Dirk Huyer, the chief coroner, told The Canadian Press in an interview. His office had recorded 2,639 opioid deaths in 2023. 'I also have a degree of worry that this is a short interval, for whatever reason that we haven't identified, and that the numbers could potentially get worse again,' Huyer said. The mortality rate from opioid overdoses was 14.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2024. That is down from the peak of 19.4 deaths per 100,000 people at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, when opioids took the lives of 2,880 Ontarians. Fentanyl and its related substances were found in more than 83 per cent of opioid toxicity deaths, while stimulants were found in 69 per cent of deaths. Prescription benzodiazepines were seen in 45 per cent of deaths last year, a sharp increase from 33 per cent the year before. Non-prescription benzodiazepines were found in 62 per cent of deaths, slightly down from 66 per cent in 2023. The opioid crisis began to hit Ontario in 2015 and 2016 when illicit fentanyl made its way east from British Columbia. There were 728 opioid deaths in 2015 and by 2018, that doubled to 1,565 deaths. The crisis peaked in the middle of the pandemic. Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, declined a request for an interview about opioid deaths in the province. The Canadian Press has asked him on more than a dozen occasions since 2022 to discuss the opioid crisis but he has never agreed to an interview on the subject. Health Minister Sylvia Jones did not respond to an interview request. The Ministry of Health said the province is 'making it easier for people to break the tragic cycle of addiction by expanding access to safe and comprehensive mental health support.' 'Through Ontario's road map to wellness, the government is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years, and $124 million through the addictions recovery fund, supporting 500 new addiction recovery beds, more than 32 youth wellness hubs, over 100 mobile crisis teams, and innovative models of care like mobile clinics,' the ministry said in a statement. Huyer lamented the fact that the province does not precisely know what's behind the decrease in opioid deaths, but postulated that it could be due to a slightly less toxic supply of drugs. 'I wish we knew because then I think everybody would be able to answer the question on where they should be focusing and how to help provide the best for everybody,' he said. Other hallmarks of the Ontario opioid crisis remain unchanged. Men account for 75 per cent of deaths, opioids disproportionally kill marginalized people and one in five opioid overdose deaths across the province occurs in the homeless population. The province has undergone a fundamental shift in its approach to the opioid crisis, which included banning supervised consumption sites it deemed too close to schools and daycares. That legislation came about after a Toronto woman was killed by a stray bullet from a shooting outside one of the sites. One Toronto consumption site challenged that law in court days before it came into effect on April 1. A judge granted an injunction to allow 10 such sites to remain open while he considers his decision. But nine of the 10 sites had already agreed to transition to the province's new abstinence-based model — homelessness and addiction recovery treatment, or HART, hubs — and closed. The province is investing $550 million to fund a total of 28 HART hubs across Ontario, along with 540 new, highly supportive housing units. Liberal health critic Adil Shamji, who still works part time as an emergency department physician and was on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic, said he's disappointed in the province's response. 'But there's no level of disappointment that can approach the level of heartbreak that families across Ontario are experiencing,' he said. The new homelessness and addiction treatment hubs also miss the mark, he said. 'They have no new services to offer and in many cases are underfunded, overwhelmed, and at a very immature stage where they're not able to meet the demand,' Shamji said. He said there's a void of leadership on the file. 'When you have the medical condition that touches on so many different people in so many different walks of life, it speaks to the need for a public health response and for leaders to come out with ambition, boldness and with the seriousness that it deserves,' he said. 'And we're not seeing that from this government, from the minister of health, from public health or the chief medical officer of health.' The Office of the Chief Coroner reported 197 opioid deaths across the province in April, the most recent data available, but stressed that number is very preliminary and will rise since death investigations and toxicology results often taken months to complete. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025. Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
National Post
18 minutes ago
- National Post
WELL Health Announces Appointment of Ric Leong as its Chief Accounting Officer
Article content WELL has appointed Ric Leong, CPA, CA, BSc., as Chief Accounting Officer, where he will lead WELL's accounting operations and financial planning functions as it continues to scale its business and pursue growth through acquisitions. Mr. Leong was previously the CFO of Avigilon at the time of its $1B exit to Motorola Solutions. Most recently, Mr. Leong 's last position was leading the finance and accounting team at Hootsuite as SVP of Finance. Mr. Leong's primary focus is to strengthen the Company's financial reporting processes as well as WELL's financial integration efforts in support of its expansive acquisition strategy. Mr. Leong will also work to enhance financial planning and analysis (FP&A) capabilities in alignment with the Company's overarching growth plans. Article content VANCOUVER, British Columbia & TORONTO — WELL Health Technologies Corp. (TSX: WELL) (OTCQX: WHTCF) ('WELL' or the 'Company'), a digital healthcare company focused on positively impacting health outcomes by leveraging technology to empower healthcare practitioners and their patients globally, is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Ric Leong, CPA, CA, BSc. as WELL's Chief Accounting Officer, effective May 20th. Article content Mr. Leong's primary focus is to strengthen the Company's financial reporting processes as well as WELL's financial integration efforts in support of its expansive acquisition strategy. Mr. Leong will also work to enhance financial planning and analysis (FP&A) capabilities in alignment with the Company's overarching growth plans. As Chief Accounting Officer, Mr. Leong will lead WELL's accounting operations, including public company reporting and FP&A, reporting to Eva Fong, the Company's Chief Financial Officer and working closely with the rest of the leadership Team at WELL. Article content Hamed Shahbazi, Chairman and CEO of WELL Health commented, 'We are extremely pleased to extend a very warm welcome Ric to WELL's senior leadership team. Ric brings a wealth of experience as a senior financial executive in high-growth technology environments. Ric's proven track record in driving process improvements and creating shareholder value, particularly during his time at Avigilon and Hootsuite, will provide tremendous value as WELL continues to scale its operations.' Article content Mr. Leong most recently served as Senior Vice President, Finance of Vancouver-based social media management company Hootsuite Inc., where he led financial due diligence on several strategic acquisitions, including the transformative acquisition of Talkwalker, an AI-powered social listening platform. He also arranged credit facilities to support growth and acquisition capital, contributing to the company's balance sheet strength and long-term financial strategy. Previously, he was Chief Financial Officer at Avigilon Corporation, a video surveillance and analytics company acquired by Motorola Solutions, Inc. in 2018. In both roles, Mr. Leong demonstrated a strong ability to create shareholder value through disciplined financial leadership and operational efficiency. Article content Mr. Leong articled with KPMG LLP and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Diploma in Accounting from the University of British Columbia. Article content 'I am excited to join WELL Health at this pivotal stage of its growth,' said Mr. Leong. 'WELL's mission to tech-enable healthcare providers as well as modernize, digitize and positively transform healthcare resonates deeply with me. I look forward to contributing to the Company's continued success and supporting its financial operations and strategic objectives.' Article content WELL HEALTH TECHNOLOGIES CORP. Article content Per: 'Hamed Shahbazi' Hamed Shahbazi Chief Executive Officer, Chairman and Director WELL Health Technologies Inc. Article content About WELL Health Technologies Corp. Article content WELL's mission is to tech-enable healthcare providers. We do this by developing the best technologies, services, and support available, which ensures healthcare providers are empowered to positively impact patient outcomes. WELL's comprehensive healthcare and digital platform includes extensive front and back-office management software applications that help physicians run and secure their practices. WELL's solutions enable more than 42,000 healthcare providers between the US and Canada and power the largest owned and operated healthcare ecosystem in Canada with more than 210 clinics supporting primary care, specialized care, and diagnostic services. In the United States WELL's solutions are focused on specialized markets such as the gastrointestinal market, women's health, primary care, and mental health. WELL is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol 'WELL' and on the OTC Exchange under the symbol 'WHTCF'. To learn more about the Company, please visit: Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information: Article content Article content Tyler Baba Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
19 minutes ago
- CTV News
North York apartment building evacuated due to high levels of carbon monoxide
A North York apartment building was evacuated on Thursday after high levels of carbon monoxide was detected. A North York apartment building is being evacuated after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected, Toronto Fire says. Emergency crews were called to a building on Keele Street, near Sheppard Avenue West, at around 4 a.m. Thursday for a report of a woman experiencing symptoms of concern. Crews are still investigating the source, Toronto Fire said, but it appears to be a mechanical issue in the basement. TTC buses have been deployed to shelter displaced residents. One person was transported to hospital with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries, paramedics told CP24.
