Manitoba First Nation enforcing new measures to combat drug crisis
Manitoba First Nation enforcing new measures to combat drug crisis
A Manitoba First Nation is enacting measures to combat an ongoing drug and addiction crisis while also calling on the federal and provincial governments to do more to address drug-related deaths within northern remote Indigenous communities.
"St. Theresa Point is in a state of drug and addiction crisis," said St. Theresa Point First Nation Chief Elvin Flett.
"Chief and Council can no longer accept that the proliferation of drugs and harmful substances within our community can continue without a significant plan."
St. Theresa Point First Nation is preparing to enforce new laws under its own traditional territory that will allow for the search of any person's personal items as a way to find illicit substances entering the community.
Non-community members who do not wish to comply will not be allowed entry into St. Theresa Point First Nation, no matter the individual's profession.
"The drug traffickers and distributors will be subject to harsher consequences as a result of these Indigenous laws," said Chief Flett
The new provisions are in response to the recent deaths of two teenage girls in St. Theresa Point First Nation. Dayna Megan Madison Shingoose and Emily Marie Mason were found frozen on the morning of March 1, 2023, their deaths were cited as due to hypothermia, according to a release from the First Nation.
First Nation leaders say the deaths were a result of consuming illicit drugs. While an autopsy is being carried out by RCMP, the St. Theresa Point Chief and Council are not confident the process will delve into the root causes of the two female teenagers’ deaths.
"The authorities, including the police, will sadly check it off without any consequences regarding who is responsible and who should be held accountable for the deaths," said Chief Flett, "It will merely become a statistic."
St. Theresa Point First Nation is calling on the federal and provincial governments to implement new measures that will directly address the ongoing drug crisis plaguing the first nation, namely:
A special coroner's inquest into the deaths of Dayna Shingoose and Emily Mason that will determine the causes of the two deaths Examine existing drug enforcement strategies and find out why they're not working within remote communities;
Negotiations with federal and provincial representatives to create a comprehensive drug and addiction crisis resolution; and
More provincial support to increase more First Nation police officers and community security in St. Theresa Point First Nation.
"We share the concern of the Chief of St. Theresa Point First Nation about the proliferation of illicit drugs and other intoxicants within the community," said Robert Cyrenne, director of communications and media relations for the Manitoba RCMP, in a statement provided to CTV News.
"Targeting and dismantling drug traffickers, especially those who ship drugs from major centres and into remote communities remains a priority for the Manitoba RCMP," said Cyrenne.
In order to cut off the drug supply brought into northern remote First Nations, Chief Flett is also asking the provincial government to allow for the searching of luggage of travellers flying into Manitoba's north at the point of arrival to a First Nation community.
"This measure has been effective in the past when we searched drugs in passenger luggage whereby drugs were confiscated by First Nation police officers," said Chief Flett.
A statement from a provincial spokesperson reads, in part, "Working closely with Indigenous leadership via a Steering Committee to support the administration of Justice, the Manitoba government recently introduced amendments to the Police Services Act to expand the scope and authority of First Nations safety officers, which will provide First Nations with additional tools to address local public safety needs."
"The government of Manitoba is committed to safe communities, however the random search of luggage raises a number of complex constitutional issues that relate to privacy interests and section 9 constitutional rights"
Increased access to drug and substance addiction services is also a priority for St. Theresa Point First Nation, with Chief Flett citing a high caseload of individuals needing such services.
"People are dying without any services to help them. This has been an outcry in terms of the resources that are needed in our First Nation communities," said Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.
"This community is only asking for what every other citizen in this country has: safety in their home, health services and fair access to justice," said Merrick.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh is pushing for special rapporteur David Johnston to 'step aside' from his role examining the issue of foreign interference before he embarks on public hearings.
New Democrat MP Jenny Kwan said Monday that Canada's spy agency has confirmed her long-held belief she is being targeted by the Chinese government, as the prime minister granted the NDP's wish to allow more party members to review top-secret intelligence.
William Karlsson, William Carrier and Jonathan Marchessault are finally getting another chance in the Stanley Cup Final, after the first one that came so quick for the Vegas Golden Knights.
Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Caleb Martin had 26 points and 10 rebounds to help the eighth-seeded Miami Heat beat the Celtics 103-84 in Game 7 on Monday night and advance to the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons.
Canadian political leaders and parliamentarians are denouncing a new law passed in Uganda that imposes harsh penalties, including the death penalty, for certain cases involving homosexuality.
There's a heightened risk of wildfires across the country during what has been one of the earliest fire seasons on record. From British Columbia to Nova Scotia, here's where the risk is highest.
New research from Penn State University found certain factors can contribute to reducing what’s known as the 'urban heat island' effect, and that climate knowledge can contribute to better city planning and design.
The first twister of 2023 in the country touched down near Regina over the weekend, according to an analysis from the Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP).
One person from Estevan, Sask. is dead and another is seriously injured following a collision between a pickup truck and a motorcycle on May 28 near Fortuna, North Dakota.
In a province where there are vast distances between cities and towns, one local group is hoping to get public support for an idea to bridge those gaps with a rail line.
The body of a Winnipeg boy who fell into Sturgeon Falls on Saturday has been found following a desperate underwater search that lasted more than a day.
Over 170,000 elementary and high school students weighed in on the Alberta election and the NDP had to hope the real voters were listening, because they won the kids' vote.
One long-time electoral tradition came to an end on election day, when Postmedia announced there would be no printed newspaper announcing the winner in Calgary.
The union representing the majority of Quebec's daycare workers is criticizing the government's decision to launch a skimpy 90-hour training program for people who want to be daycare workers but have no prior experience.
A Quebec driver who caused the death of another motorist when he swerved his truck to avoid hitting a family of ducks on the road has been sentenced to eight months in jail and a three-year driving ban.
It's the end of an era for one sporting goods store at Bank Street and Laurier Avenue. The owner says a lack of foot traffic downtown is behind the decision to close a store that's been operating for 41 years.
The Sandy Hill Child Care Centre has an extra two weeks to get its new home up to code months after a fire destroyed its original site on Wilbrod Street.
The rural Oxford County intersection where an OPP officer and a school bus driver were killed Monday was less than a month away from becoming a four-way stop when the deadly crash happened.
It was a night of indecision at Waterloo region's catholic school board as trustees went back and forth trying to find the best approach to fill a vacant seat.
On Monday, Fraser Health provided two senior leaders to address the latest letter outlining risks to patients, allegations of muzzling, and pleas for help from emergency physicians in the health authority's hospitals.
The president of the BC Trucking Association is issuing renewed calls for safety after a trailer truck smashed into an overhead pass Monday morning in Langley.
Capital Bike is encouraging Greater Victoria residents to choose cycling as a way to get around the region during "Go By Bike Week," which runs from May 29 to June 4.
