Overdoses prompt First Nation in B.C. to declare state of emergency
CBC
A spike in overdose deaths in the six First Nations that make up the Tsilhqot'in National Government in British Columbia has prompted the chiefs to declare a local state of emergency.
The Cariboo-area nation says in a statement that toxic drugs combined with the historical and present-day harms of colonialism are contributing to higher rates of overdose deaths among Indigenous people.
Tribal Chair and Chief Joe Alphonse says in the statement that drugs are a major problem in the community, and while they feel like their hands are tied, they need to act to save lives.
The statement says the RCMP know who the dealers are, and that is something that needs to be addressed.
The Tsilhqot'in says the emergency declaration provides the nation with access to additional government support; however, treatment facilities don't have enough capacity and it's calling on all government ministries to work together to stop the deaths.
Chief Otis Guichon, the vice-president of the national government, says their people are grieving over the recent losses and they need time and tradition while they search for Tsilhqot'in-led solutions.
"We call on the local health authorities to work with our communities and expand facilities to support our members who want treatment. Our thoughts and prayers are with those families grieving right now,'' Guichon said in the statement.
Data from the B.C. Coroners Service shows 13 people died of toxic drugs in the Cariboo-Chilcotin area, which includes the nations, in 2023 — a rate of about 49.1 per 100,000 and slightly above B.C.'s provincial rate of 46.4.
First Nations people died at six times the rate of non-First Nations people from January to June 2023 while the number of First Nations people who died from toxic drugs increased by 24.7 per cent compared to the same period in 2022, the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) reported earlier this year.
First Nations women are disproportionately impacted by the toxic drug crisis, dying at a rate 11.9 times higher than non-First Nations women in B.C. in the first six months of 2023, the health authority said.
A Calgary Transit shuttle bus went up in flames Friday morning.
Four decades after the deadliest aviation crash on Canadian soil, two Americans who lost loved ones in the Arrow Air disaster say they needed to visit Gander to share their gratitude with those who feel their grief.
It’s been a year of relearning how to live for a 41-year-old Wawa woman.
Prospectors staked claims around Nova Scotia in high numbers this year after Premier Tim Houston unveiled his new open-arms approach to natural resource development.
The Holt Liberals have found a way to keep their promise of lower gas prices just days before Christmas.
A man convicted of human smuggling last year has asked a United States court to continue his appeal without a lawyer, in a case where a family from India froze to death near the Manitoba-U.S. border in 2022.
The dream of those who wanted to breathe new life into Saskatoon’s bus barns in Caswell Hill is expected to come tumbling down next year.
Jill Finn is still haunted by the voice.
P.E.I.'s deputy premier Bloyce Thompson is expected to be sworn in as the province's next premier one day after Rob Lantz announced his resignation from the role and his bid for the permanent leadership of the province’s Progressive Conservative Party.
WARNING: This article may affect those who have experienced sexual violence or know someone affected by it.
The Ontario government has sided with the City of Hamilton in its push to continue a long-delayed James Street N., housing redevelopment, which proposes the creation of several hundred homes in the north end.
There's still no timeline on the official designation of an Ojibway National Urban Park — and a Parks Canada representative is asking the community to adjust its expectations.
As the cost of groceries continues to increase, one Edmonton organization is harnessing the power of bulk buying to ensure its members aren’t going hungry at a critical time every month.