The Ontario Ministry of Health has opened a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Renfrew County, marking another step in the province’s plan to expand access to integrated mental health, addictions and social supports while strengthening community safety.
Announced Thursday in Pembroke, the new hub is part of Ontario’s nearly $550 million investment to establish 28 HART Hubs across the province. The initiative is designed to improve access to treatment and recovery services for people facing housing instability, mental health challenges and substance use issues, while reducing pressure on emergency services and enhancing public safety.
“We are building a stronger, more connected system of mental health and addictions care that better reflects the needs of communities and focuses on lasting recovery,” said Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “The opening of this new HART Hub will ensure that people struggling with mental health and addictions challenges in Renfrew County can get the care they need on their path to recovery.”
The Renfrew County MESA HART Hub is now operational at the Carefor Mackay Centre in Pembroke and is delivering services through a network-based model that connects a 24/7 intake centre with existing community access points. The approach is intended to allow individuals to move more easily between services as their needs change, reducing fragmentation in care delivery.
HART Hubs are designed to bring a wide range of services together under one coordinated framework. In Renfrew County, those services include primary care, mental health treatment, addictions services, case management, supportive housing, Indigenous services, and basic needs supports such as food, showers and clothing. Life skills development and employment counselling are also part of the model, reflecting a broader focus on long-term stability and recovery.
The hub is being delivered in collaboration with a wide range of partners, including the Pembroke Regional Hospital, the County of Renfrew, the City of Pembroke, Carefor, the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre – Pembroke, local municipalities, public health units, first responders and community organizations. Provincial officials say this level of collaboration is central to ensuring services are responsive to local needs.
“The MESA HART Hub is a welcome addition to health services in the County of Renfrew. The HART Hub will bring together mental and primary health services, transitional housing, social supports and employment counselling, all under one roof. It will provide a safe and welcoming space for those who need immediate support, so they can have positive long-term results,” said John Jordan, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and MPP for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston.
For the province, the Renfrew County hub is part of a broader shift toward integrated, community-based care under initiatives such as Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care and the Roadmap to Wellness. These strategies aim to connect people to services earlier and closer to home, reducing reliance on emergency departments and acute care settings.
“The opening of the HART Hub reflects the province’s commitment to expanding integrated, community-based supports that connect people to care, reduce pressure on emergency services and improve safety and well-being across Ontario. This is about coordinated, accountable solutions that deliver better outcomes for communities. We thank the province for its annual investment in delivering these essential services closer to home,” said Billy Denault, MPP for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke.
The province has emphasized that HART Hubs are focused on treatment and recovery. They do not offer safer supply, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs. Instead, the model centres on recovery-oriented services and supportive housing as pathways to long-term stability.
“The opening of this HART Hub represents a shift in how we respond to complex needs in our community: from fragmented supports to a coordinated system of care. Through strong partnerships across health, social services and community agencies, Renfrew County is building a model rooted in compassion, accountability, and results. The HART Hub brings together the right partners, in the right place, to connect people with support when it matters most. This is a community led solution, made possible through the Mesa initiative, collaboration and an unwavering belief that everyone deserves the chance to be well,” said Jennifer Murphy, Warden of the County of Renfrew.
Health system leaders say the collaborative approach will be critical as demand for mental health and addictions services continues to grow across Ontario.
“As a county-wide provider of mental health services and a leading partner in this initiative, we couldn’t be more proud of the work that has already been done to address the needs of those in the vulnerable sectors of our communities. Now, more than ever, there is great value in being able to draw on collective expertise by working closely with others. Ontario’s investment in this work is reflective of that and we are very pleased to be part of this and the outcomes that will be achieved,” said Sabine Mersman, President and CEO of Pembroke Regional Hospital and co-lead of the Renfrew County HART Hub.
As of April 2025, nine former consumption and treatment services sites had transitioned into HART Hubs, with additional hubs now opening across the province. Ontario says the full rollout will add close to 900 supportive housing units provincewide, exceeding original targets and reinforcing the government’s longer-term $3.8 billion, 10-year investment to modernize mental health and addictions care.
