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Health Minister visits DTES

A program that helps people in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside is getting a funding boost from the federal government.

An initiative that focuses on gender and trauma-based issues at B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Centre received an increase in support, and the feds have now invested $842,000 into the program.

Health Minister Ginette Petitpas-Taylor was in the neighbourhood to make that announcement on Saturday.

Defence Minister and Surrey MP Harjit Sajjan was present as well.

The visit to the downtown eastside was the first for Petitpas-Taylor, who has been in her position since August.

“It’s very important for us as politicians to be out on the ground and to see exactly the reality that people are faced with," Petitpas-Taylor said. "It was very moving, actually."

The federal government spends more than $26M annually on programs to help people deal with addictions, according to Petitpas-Taylor.

- with files from CTV Vancouver



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