The City of Courtenay is throwing its support behind a substance-use education and awareness event to be held this spring.

It’s in partnership with the Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society, Comox Valley Substance Use Collaborative, and Community Action Initiative.

The event will focus on reducing stigma, educating the public, and promoting harm reduction strategies.

$10,000 in funding has been secured from the Community Action Initiative, and Courtenay Council approved an additional $7,500 from its Initiatives Fund.

Council notes there is a pressing need to address the significant impacts of substance use-related harms on our community’s health and wellbeing, exacerbated by the unregulated toxic drug crisis.

The City says it prioritizes fostering social infrastructure in alignment with the Official Community Plan's objective of promoting coordinated and evidence-based responses to complex social issues and collaborating with regional partners to address homelessness, mental health, and addiction.

The $7,500 will go to the Indigenous Women’s Sharing Society as fiscal host, to support event related costs including those associated with the use of City facilities.

In addition, Mayor Bob Wells will be writing to neighboring municipalities requesting financial contributions to the event.