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Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence

The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence 

The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE) will ensure Alberta leads in developing data-driven policies and best practices for mental health and addiction recovery.

Leading Recovery Excellence

CoRE leads recovery excellence by informing best practices, conducting program evaluation and analyzing data to support the development of objective and practical policy.

What We Do
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Discover Our Founding Story

In June 2024, the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence was established by the Alberta Government through the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence Act.

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Partnering With Global Leaders

One of CoRE’s key goals is to bridge the gap between research and real-world application. The centre collaborates with experts both locally and globally to develop and implement practical policies. This collaborative approach ensures that CoRE’s work is grounded in scientific and actionable insights.

News & Articles

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News

New peer-reviewed article explores buprenorphine’s potential as a novel harm reduction approach

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 2, 2026 CALGARY — A new peer-reviewed article published in Pharmaceuticals and co-authored by CoRE’s Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Nathaniel Day, suggests buprenorphine, a medication commonly used to treat opioid use disorder, may also reduce the risk of fentanyl-induced respiratory depression, the primary cause of fatal opioid overdoses. The paper examines … Continued

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News

Landmark evidence shows closing Alberta Overdose Prevention Site led to no increase in overdose deaths and an increase in life-saving treatment 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 10, 2026 Calgary, Alberta—Today, Addiction, the globally leading scientific journal, published CORE’s landmark findings on how the closure of an Overdose Prevention Site in Red Deer, Alberta did not result in increased deaths, emergency department visits, or EMS (ambulance) calls for site users and after the site closed, more site users sought … Continued

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Blog

Dr. Day’s presentation to UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs

At the 68th Annual UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Dr. Nathaniel Day, CoRE’s Chief Scientific Officer, presented to attendees representing close to 100 nations. He shared major efforts made in Alberta to address the crises of addiction in Canada. Securing this thought leadership opportunity is just one of CoRE’s strategic achievements in its first year … Continued

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News

CoRE Releases Position Paper Offering Crucial Insights on Risk of Cannabis Impairment in High-Risk Jobs 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 4, 2025 Calgary, Alberta—The Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence (CoRE), in collaboration with Dr. Charl Els, is pleased to announce the publication of a new position paper, Cannabis in Safety-Sensitive Industries.  Endorsed by the Occupational and Environmental Medical Association of Canada (OEMAC), this paper has been published for peer review in the … Continued

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Work With Us

Discover a rewarding, exciting, and innovative working environment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is CoRE?

CoRE stands for the Canadian Centre of Recovery Excellence. It is a new Crown corporation established by the Alberta government under the Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction.

What is the purpose of CoRE?

Every family who has a loved one suffering with addiction or mental health concerns hopes their parent, child, brother or sister recovers. CoRE’s vision is to find the most effective ways to support recovery, by empowering decision-making with the best available information on what works and what does not work to support individuals with mental illness or addiction in their pursuit of recovery. CoRE evaluates programs and provides expert advice on the effectiveness of the Alberta model, sharing those learnings locally, nationally and internationally.

How is CoRE different from Recovery Alberta?

Recovery Alberta is a service delivery organization responsible for providing mental health and addiction services to the public. CoRE focuses on program evaluation, data analysis, research and providing scientific recommendations to inform policy and practice.