Video – Photo Gallery – IHARC Calls for State of Emergency in Cobourg
Over 30 homeless people on the streets and traces of Fentanyl throughout Victoria Park
IHARC (Integrated Homelessness & Addictions Response Centre) Executive Director Jordan Stevenson said it’s getting worse on the streets of Cobourg.
“We’re calling for Lucas Cleveland, the Mayor of Cobourg to declare a state of emergency.”
The state of emergency Stevenson is calling for is because of the state of homelessness and opioid crisis.
“It’s not only having an impact on people that are actively struggling with addiction, but also the neighbours and the overall community. There is not one person I know in this community that hasn’t been impacted in one way or another.”
A state of emergency needs to take place for “real action” in terms of mobilizing resources locally and provincially.
“It needs to be a unified front to tackle the root cause of the issues and to look at where we are failing.
The status quo isn’t working.”
Stevenson said it’s not anyone’s fault, “but they are burning out spinning their wheels.”
“Without concrete drastic measures we’re going to see more death, more chaos.”
Late Wednesday evening and into Thursday morning (October 2, 2025) Stevenson was out on the roads around downtown Cobourg where the homeless are usually spotted doing outreach work and connecting people to resources, “and making sure they are staying warm and alive and as fed as much as possible.”
Part of the outreach work is looking for discarded drug paraphernalia in public places that can be a danger to the general public, especially vulnerable people including children and the elderly.
Today’s Northumberland caught up with Stevenson as he was in Victoria Park testing items for traces of Fentanyl with a number of items in the former canteen area and in the playgrounds just south of the canteen.
A number of pieces of tinfoil and a pipe were found in the playground and sandbox that tested positive for Fentanyl.
The test kits were provided by the local health unit and Stevenson tests each item numerous times.
“Unfortunately everything that was found, tinfoil and the pipe found in the playground was positive for Fentanyl.”
On Thursday, October 2, 2025, emergency services attended Victoria Park in the area of the canteen for a person who was vital signs absent.
When emergency services arrived the person was conscious and alert.
Stevenson said he’s seen, “so many new faces, apart from the clients we normally deal with.”
After the curfew at Transition House on Friday evening, Stevenson counted 35 people on the streets in downtown and Victoria Park. That’s without taking in the encampments around the area.
With seasons changing and the temperature falling, Stevenson said there currently is no warming hub.
“There are ideas being floated, but given the restrictions town council has placed on county staff, no warming room can happen in Cobourg.”
“I’m talking to them (Northumberland County staff) and there’s nothing more they can do that they are not already trying to do.”
Shortly after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Stevenson was waved over by a person he knows that told him of a fire in a alley on King Street East.
“They had found a pull-along cart that was engulfed in flames.”
The person had extinguished the fire and Stevenson called Cobourg Police.
It’s the fifth suspicious fire that has happened in the alley since June, but Cobourg Police has not issued any press release regarding the fires.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love