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September 2026 News & Notes

In this issue:

• Indigenous-Led Gambling Harm Reduction and Community Capacity Building Grant Supports 15 Organizations Across B.C.
• CAI at IOAD events across B.C.
• New! Community Memorial and Healing Grant
• External Community Opportunities & Resources
• Articles & Media

Indigenous-Led Gambling Harm Reduction and Community Capacity Building Grant Supports 15 Organizations Across B.C.

Fifteen First Nations, Métis and urban Indigenous-led organizations across B.C. have each been awarded $90,000 through the Indigenous-Led Gambling Harm Reduction and Community Capacity Building Grant, established in partnership with CAI, Gambling Supports B.C., and the Ministry of Health.

CAI at IOAD events across B.C.

CAI staff were honoured to attend International Overdose Awareness Day events in communities across the province on and around August 31, including Abbotsford, Coquitlam, Langley, Parksville, Port Alberni, Squmish, Sunshine Coast and Surrey.

We saw firsthand the importance of creating space for connection and support, remembering those we’ve lost, and recognizing that the toxic drug crisis impacts all of us and our communities.

Thank you to the communities, organizers, partners, and everyone who came together across B.C. to remember loved ones, share stories, and stand together against stigma.

CAI's LinkedIn page features a collection of news stories, media coverage, and highlights from IOAD 2026 events held across the province. Visit our page to explore the coverage and follow us for updates on our ongoing work and future initiatives.

New! Community Memorial and Healing Grant

The Community Memorial and Healing Grant, led by CAI with funding from the Vancouver Foundation, is a one-time funding opportunity of $10,000 for 15 communities across B.C. to develop a local permanent memorial that honors the lives of those lost to the toxic drug crisis and provide a space for collective grief and healing.  

This grant is open for Municipalities or First Nations to apply by January 31, 2027.

External Community Opportunities & Resources

• Fundraising Off the Side of Your Desk (webinar): Make the most of the time and tools you already have, build funder and donor relationships without discomfort, and find funding opportunities that fit your organization's scale. October 5

• Indigenous Services Canada New Fiscal Relationship (NFR) grant: An optional funding mechanism that provides predictable and flexible funding to eligible recipients for up to 28 programs and services.

• Law Foundation of BC Activate Grants: Aim to provide flexible funding for early-stage ideas and plans that may lead to new and innovative programming, projects, or infrastructure that advance racial justice through law and policy reform. Application deadline: November 13

• Frybread Power: The Significance of Indigenous Empowerment, Pride & Resilience for Health: Event on September 21, 9 am-4 pm at Jack Poole Hall on the UBC Vancouver campus. The event will be offered both in person and via livestream.

Articles & Media

• Article: Toxic-drug deaths in June reach 138, bringing 2026 total to 792, CTV News

• Article: New Parksville memorial bench a place to remember people lost to toxic drugs, PQB News

• Article: Dawson Creek event marks International Overdose Awareness Day ahead of August 31, CJDC TV

• Article: Stories of loss, recovery shared at Williams Lake International Overdose Awareness Day, Penticton Herald

• Article: Overdose Awareness Day marked in Nelson, My Nelson Now

Where Communities Lead, Better Health Follows

At our core, we’re connectors between grassroots organizations and government. Our role is to nurture community-led efforts, helping align their needs with broader provincial objectives while prioritizing unique local contexts. Our approach is rooted in capacity building, trust-based granting, and creating strong relationships with the communities we engage. That’s how we ensure that local wisdom and lived experiences actively shape Mental Health and Substance Use (MHSU) programming and resource allocation.

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We recognize that we conduct our work on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations

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