Community Connection has opened the Community Connection Hub, made possible through funding from Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund. This new collaborative space was designed to improve access to mental health, substance use, and community supports. The Hub aims to reduce harms among vulnerable individuals who use opioids and experience complex mental health and addiction challenges.
“To address the illegal drug and overdose crisis effectively, Canadians should have access to a range of supports. That is exactly what the City of Orillia is offering. Through its new Community Connection Hub, people who use opioids and struggle with complex mental health and addiction challenges can access the care and services they need and deserve under one roof,” said the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health.
“Health Canada’s investment has enabled the creation of a shared community space that brings services together and makes them easier to access,” said Pamela Hillier, Executive Director of Community Connection. “The Community Connection Hub strengthens collaboration among service providers and helps ensure community members can access support more seamlessly.”
The project was made possible through a successful grant application developed by City of Orillia staff, following opportunities identified several years ago by the City’s Addictions and Overdose Crisis Working Group. Community Connection serves as the project lead, overseeing the development and operation of the Hub on behalf of the City of Orillia.
The Hub is located in a shared, co-located space where partner organizations can meet with clients, deliver services, and collaborate in real time. It offers in-person, low-barrier access through a no-wrong-door approach—no appointments or referrals required—and provides warm handoffs to partner services. The Hub will also pilot digital tools with partner organizations to better share client information and coordinate care.
No single organization can address the complex needs of vulnerable individuals alone. While our community benefits from a broad network of services and program-specific navigators, the system remains fragmented. Program-specific navigators often work independently, with limited mechanisms for securely sharing information, coordinating support, or reducing duplication of effort.
For many people facing multiple and interconnected challenges, navigating these services can be overwhelming. When several organizations are involved, individuals are often left to coordinate their own care and retell their stories multiple times. The challenge is not a lack of navigation services, but a lack of connected navigation. The Community Connection Hub was created to bridge that gap by bringing organizations together around the needs of the people they serve.
The Community Connection Hub reflects a collaborative effort among local service providers, Community Connection, Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital, CMHA Simcoe County, the City of Orillia and Health Canada to improve access to community-based supports for residents.
Located at 250 West Street North, Unit 11, the Hub is now open. Visit https://communityconnection.ca/orillia-cc-hub/ for current hours and details.
