Michael Glomba says the outreach services in Thunder Bay, Ont., are different from anything he’s experienced across Canada.
Glomba, originally from London, Ont., has lived in several places throughout the country. He’s been in the northwestern Ontario city for six months now and is waiting for housing.
He connected with the Waabanung Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub and is now participating in its HART WORKS pilot program.
“A lot of people need to be more aware of what’s really here and what’s going on because it really does help,” Glomba said.
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A naloxone kit, which is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is seen at the new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub space in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Sarah Law/CBC)
The Ontario government introduced the HART Hub model in January 2025 after issuing new rules in August 2024 about how close supervised consumption sites could be to schools and child-care settings, leading to closures of several such sites across the province.
Thunder Bay’s HART Hub opened in April 2025 after Path 525, the city’s only supervised consumption site, closed down.
People Advocating for Change Through Empowerment (PACE) initially hosted Thunder Bay’s HART Hub at its previous location at 510 Victoria Ave. When PACE moved to 409 George St., so did the HART Hub.
This past Monday, community partners celebrated the grand opening of the HART HUB’s new location at 500 Simpson St., still located on the city’s south side.
“It’s a comprehensive all-in-one location,” said Juanita Lawson, chief executive officer of Nor West Community Health Centres (NWCHC), lead partner of the HART Hub. “It’s one door that offers [clients] access to multiple services.”
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Juanita Lawson is chief executive director of Nor West Community Health Centres (NWCHC), the lead partner for the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Sarah Law/CBC)
Thunder Bay city council declared homelessness a humanitarian crisis back in February.
Laws regarding access to safe and affordable housing remain challenging according to Lawson; however as transitional housing units become available, community partners have been working together to help people secure these spaces while meeting their other needs.
“It also is meeting with peers, meeting with people who have lived experience who can help guide or talk to people about things that are going on in their life,” she explained.
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Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland says he is excited about the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub’s new location in Thunder Bay, Ont. (Sarah Law/CBC)
When asked about replacing Path 525 with HART Hub services , Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland emphasized providing a continuum of care designed for individual success.
“The HART Hub model is all about making sure we’re connecting with people , addressing each person’s specific needs , and developing plans that help them move forward,” Holland said.
“This serves as a stopping point where individuals can come inside , navigate that system better so it’s not overwhelming when seeking services.”
Pilot program set for evaluation
As part of HART WORKS , Glomba has been building employment skills while also connecting with health and social services.
He hopes this pilot program will continue.
Participants “have had multiple barriers to employment , but they’ve also had barriers connecting with each other and feeling safe,” Lawson said.
“They’re really talking about how they felt … just a sense of belonging , connection , responsibility , and a structure that’s given them pride.”
NWCHC is assessing how successful this pilot has been before deciding if it can continue running , Lawson mentioned.
