Federal Health Minister discusses opioid crisis on first official Montreal visit

MONTREAL — The country’s ongoing opioid crisis topped the agenda on Monday during Ginette Petitpas Taylor’s first official visit to Montreal as federal health minister.

Petitpas Taylor met with a team of researchers working in the Quebec and Maritimes branch of the Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM) at the University of Montreal.

The CRISM is national research group helping to establish the federal government’s response to the opioid emergency.

Petitpas Taylor said $1.8 million of $7.5 million announced in September would go towards funding the researchers in Montreal.