Two sessions will bring communities together to strengthen coordinated responses across the region
(May 7, 2026) – The Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes Northumberland (HKLN) Drug Strategy is bringing
community partners, service providers, municipal leaders, and people with lived and living experience together for Connected Communities: A Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland Drug Strategy Conversation Series, regional symposiums focused on dialogue, shared learning and collaboration around substance use and the Four Pillars: Prevention, Treatment, Community Safety and Harm Reduction.
The first session will take place on May 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Victoria Park Armoury (210 Kent Street West, Lindsay) and is intended for residents and stakeholders in the City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County. A second session will be held on June 17, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Best Western in Cobourg, for those in Northumberland County.
These symposiums will create space for meaningful dialogue, knowledge sharing, and collaboration across sectors responding to substance use and its impacts.
Each event will feature opening remarks, expert presentations, facilitated breakout discussions, a panel
conversation, and a plenary session. Attendees will also have opportunities to network and connect with others working across the region. Lunch will be provided.
“These symposiums are an opportunity to bring together voices from across our region to share what’s
working, identify gaps, and strengthen how we respond to substance use in our communities,” said Ashley Smoke, HKLN Drug Strategy Coordinator. “By focusing on prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and community safety, we can build more coordinated and compassionate approaches that meet people where they are.”
Participants will engage in discussions aimed at identifying local priorities, sharing promising practices, and exploring opportunities to enhance coordinated responses across the HKLN region.
Registration is required, and individuals must register for their preferred session, including Lindsay (serving City of Kawartha Lakes and Haliburton County) and Northumberland County (Cobourg).
Connected Communities: A Haliburton, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland Drug Strategy Conversation
Series
Event Details:
Lindsay (City of Kawartha Lakes & Haliburton County)
Date: May 28, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Victoria Park Armoury, 210 Kent Street West, Lindsay
Cobourg (Northumberland County)
Date: June 17, 2026
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Location: Best Western, Cobourg
For More Information
• Visit the HKLN Drug Strategy website to learn more about current harm reduction efforts.
• View the weekly Opioid Overdose Report produced by the Lakelands Public Health Unit
• Report a drug poisoning or substances of concern in your community here.
• Sign up to receive Drug Poisoning Alerts.
Author: Pete Fisher
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