Our vision is for all youth in Timiskaming District to have a sense of belonging, optimism, and resilience through caring relationships and meaningful engagement within their community.
Northeastern Public Health (formerly Timiskaming Health Unit) has been engaged with the Icelandic Prevention Model (IPM) since 2020, officially launching Planet Youth Timiskaming (PYT) in 2023 as a community-driven initiative to prevent and delay youth substance use. Rooted in the Timiskaming Drug and Alcohol Strategy, PYT gained momentum following a Community Learning Session in early 2023, which led to the formation of an interdisciplinary steering committee and community-level coalitions. Recognizing the district’s diverse geography, a regional approach was adopted, dividing Timiskaming into three zones—North, Central, and South—each supported by a Local Action Team (LAT) consisting of community partners, youth, and families.
In 2023, PYT conducted its first student survey across five high schools, achieving an 83% completion rate. The survey provided critical insights into youth health, lifestyle, and substance use, highlighting key challenges such as high rates of substance use, early substance initiation, limited youth activities, and low community satisfaction. Following these findings, PYT prioritized data sharing, community-driven goal setting, and action planning for the next two years. LATs identified three priority areas:
Increasing constructive use of free time
Enhancing youth belonging and community connection
Improving community awareness of protective factors
Early implementation of the IPM in Timiskaming has demonstrated strong regional readiness for collaboration, with widespread support from schools, municipalities, and community organizations, reinforcing PYT’s role in driving coordinated action for youth well-being.
To address the survey findings, PYT is actively implementing three core interventions:
- Floating Youth Hubs – A substance-free space where youth can engage in leisure activities like open gyms, free food, and games while fostering a greater sense of belonging in their community.
- Parent Cafés – Training and supporting parents to facilitate peer-led discussion groups, using the Café Model to build strong parent networks and promote protective factors that create a safe, supportive community for youth.
- Youth Activity Fund Microgrants – Providing funding for locally driven projects and activities to increase recreational opportunities and support youth engagement across the district.
As 2025 approaches, PYT is also preparing for its mid-point student survey, which will take place in the fall, ensuring continued evidence-based action and community impact evaluation.
Lead Organization: Northeastern Public Health
Website: https://timiskamingyouth.ca/
Social media: Facebook
Contact: Erika Aelterman; Amanda Mongeon
Location: Timiskaming District, Ontario
Timiskaming District is located on the territories of Beaverhouse, Temagami, Matachewan, and Timiskaming First Nations. This area consists of a wide variety of community sizes and a small population density. The largest communities are Temiskaming Shores and Kirkland Lake, followed by Englehart, and Cobalt, which are considerably smaller. The remaining areas consist of small rural townships and First Nations reserves. French is the first language of 20% of the population in Timiskaming District, and 10% of residents identify as Indigenous.
This project is funded as part of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Youth Substance Use Prevention Program (YSUPP). Learn more here.