Ontario Opens New Youth Wellness Hub in Port Hope, Expanding Mental Health Support Across Northumberland County
Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub Expands Mental Health Access in Port Hope
PORT HOPE — Ontario is expanding access to youth mental health and substance-use services with the opening of the Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub in Port Hope, providing walk-in, no-cost supports for young people aged 12 to 25. The hub is one of 10 new sites announced under the province’s Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) network, bringing the total number of hubs across Ontario to 32.
The centre offers immediate access to counselling, addictions support, primary care, social services, and peer mentorship, along with practical resources such as a community cupboard, recreational space, and hybrid service options.
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones said the new centre reflects the government’s broader commitment to faster, more connected care. In the official release, she emphasized that the Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub ensures young people can access “high-quality mental health and addictions services, closer to home.”
What the Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub Offers Local Youth
Designed for youth 12 to 25, the hub provides a single-entry point for a full spectrum of supports, including:
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Mental health counselling
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Substance-use services
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Primary health care
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Social services and housing supports
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Peer mentorship and life-skills programming
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Access to virtual and in-person care
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Recreational and community-building spaces
The physical environment was co-designed by Rebound Child and Youth Services, local partners, and Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario (YWHO) to reflect youth voices and community needs.
Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Vijay Thanigasalam noted that expanding the YWHO network strengthens Ontario’s mental health system by offering “integrated care in a safe, welcoming space that meets their needs.”
Ontario is making it faster and easier for young people aged 12 to 25 to connect to #MentalHealth and substance use support with the grand opening of the Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub.
Learn more: https://t.co/pqkxAH4DxD pic.twitter.com/uCbgwxD8XU
— Ontario Ministry of Health (@ONThealth) December 12, 2025
How the Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub Fits Into Ontario’s Mental Health Strategy
The new hub supports Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care and Ontario’s larger Roadmap to Wellness, a 10-year plan that includes a $3.8-billion commitment to improving mental health and addictions services.
Between 2019 and 2025, more than 79,400 youth have made over 423,000 visits to Youth Wellness Hubs across Ontario. Recently opened hubs in Thunder Bay, Maple/Vaughan and Cambridge further demonstrate the province’s push to expand integrated youth services across urban, rural, and remote communities.
Ontario is investing $8.3 million over three years to add 10 new hubs, including future sites in Oxford County, Brampton, Akwesasne, Bancroft, Dufferin County and Durham/Ajax.
Northumberland Youth Wellness Hub Strengthens Community Support Networks
Local leaders, including Northumberland—Peterborough South MPP Dave Piccini and Port Hope Mayor Olena Hankivsky, welcomed the opening. They underscored the importance of giving rural youth access to wraparound support closer to home.
Rebound Child and Youth Services highlighted the importance of designing the hub with youth input, ensuring the environment is safe, inclusive and reflective of their lived experiences.
Carole Anne Chiasson, Executive Director of Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, described the opening as a milestone that offers integrated mental health, wellness and community supports “under one roof.”
Source: Ontario Ministry of Health
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