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NORTH BAY, ON – People in North Bay can now access free health and wellness items 24/7/365, thanks to Our North Bay Healthbox. Newly located outside the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) at the corner of Oak St. W and Cassells St., Our North Bay Healthbox is funded by the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) and reduces multiple barriers to accessing personal necessities.
Our North Bay Healthbox is a modified commercially available vending machine, dispensing items chosen by individuals. Complementing the harm reduction services provided by the Health Unit, items in the Healthbox include naloxone kits, HIV self-testing kits, wound-care, hygiene, and menstrual kits, safer substance use supplies and seasonal essentials such as ponchos, water bottles, socks, gloves and foil blankets.
“North Bay has not had an around-the-clock needle syringe program since 2017, which has made it harder for people to get harm reduction supplies when they need them,” said Stuart Nichols, Peer Outreach Support Team Lead at True Self Debwewendizwin. “Our North Bay Healthbox fills this gap in services and responds to the voices of people with lived experience.”
In addition to providing health and wellness items free-of-charge, what sets the Healthbox apart from other vending machines is its interactive touchscreen and bilingual capacity, allowing for individuals to receive health promotion messaging, be notified of community drug alerts, and view a directory of local support services.
“Far too many individuals are not getting what they need for their health due to stigma, systemic barriers, or a lack of awareness. Our Healthbox is designed to make health access simpler, safer, and more dignified—empowering people to take control of their health in ways that work for them,” said Sean B. Rourke, Director of REACH Nexus at the MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital (Unity Health Toronto).
Our Healthbox is part of a nation-wide research project designed to improve access to HIV self-testing and other health supplies, and to connect people to health and social services. As a research tool, the Healthbox collects real-time, anonymous data on user activity that will inform timely, local and evidence-based public health responses.
“It's no secret that Northern Ontario has been hit hard by the opioid crisis, and our region is no exception,” said the Health Unit’s chief nursing officer and executive director of clinical services Shannon Mantha, referencing the local jump in opioid toxicity deaths during the pandemic, from 14 to 36.4 per 100,000 people. “We are also seeing local rates of homelessness on the rise, and higher-than-average rates of sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and syphilis. Our North Bay Healthbox has only been operating for a few days and is already responding to these critical health concerns in our community, and more.”
First introduced in New Brunswick in 2023, Our Healthbox has expanded nationwide with machines now serving communities across Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. Our North Bay Healthbox is the 15th machine launched in Canada, and the second in northern Ontario, after Timiskaming.
Kevin Noguera, CANFAR’s interim CEO & Chief Operating Officer, said the launch of Our North Bay Healthbox reinforces CANFAR’s commitment to addressing health equity and improving outcomes for under-resourced populations.
“The launch of Our Healthbox in North Bay is a powerful step toward ensuring everyone—regardless of their background or circumstances—has access to essential health tools, and making sexual health a normal, open part of community wellness,” said Noguera.
For more information, visit myhealthunit.ca/box or ourhealthbox.ca.
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About REACH Nexus at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions
REACH Nexus is an ambitious national research group working on how to address HIV, Hepatitis C, and other sexually transmitted and blood-borne infections (STBBIs) in Canada. REACH is a part of MAP, located at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto – Canada's largest research centre focused on health equity and the social determinants of health. REACH Nexus focuses on reaching the undiagnosed, implementing and scaling up new testing options, strengthening connections to care, improving access to options for prevention (PrEP and PEP), and ending stigma. We work in collaboration and partnership with people living with HIV, community-based organizations, front-line service agencies, healthcare providers, public health agencies, researchers, industry partners, and federal, provincial and regional policymakers.
About CANFAR
The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) is Canada’s leading independent voice for the fight against HIV/AIDS. CANFAR is committed to supporting research, education, and community outreach programs that address the prevention, treatment, and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit (Health Unit) is a public health organization governed by the Health Unit’s Board of Health. With a head office in North Bay and a branch office in Parry Sound, the Health Unit employs over 175 staff members who deliver provincially legislated public health programs and services in accordance with the Ontario Public Health Standards. The Health Unit's service area spans over 23,000 square kilometers and serves a population of approximately 134,400 within most of the Nipissing District, and all of the Parry Sound District. This catchment area includes 31 municipalities, six First Nations communities, and four unorganized areas.
Media Inquiries:
For North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit:
Kylie Wurdell, Public Relations Specialist
North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
P: 705-474-1400, ext. 5221 or 1-800-563-2808
E: communications@healthunit.ca
For REACH Nexus and CANFAR:
Andrew Russell, Senior Communications Specialist
REACH Nexus – MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions
P: 416-268-7642
E: andrew.russell@unityhealth.to
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