SASKATOON, Sask. — The head of Saskatoon's only safe consumption site says she saw the current drug crisis coming.
Kayla DeMong, executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction, says that since January, staff at the facility have spent their days responding to drug overdoses, reviving four to six people at any given time.
She said a more toxic supply of drugs entered the city earlier this year and she flagged to public officials that something needed to be done.
"I feel like a broken record," DeMong said Wednesday. "I don't understand how the government thinks it's OK to just let people die."
The drug emergency in Saskatchewan's largest city has resulted in deaths, hundreds of overdoses and the closure of two public libraries until April 13.
Staff at the Frances Morrison Central Library and Dr. Freda Ahenakew Library have reported being spat on and attacked, in addition to treating more overdose emergencies.
Prairie Harm Reduction, which offers support services, also shuttered its doors until the end of the month so staff could catch a break.
"There's been a lot of trauma that our staff have seen and are experiencing," DeMong said. "You're having to revive people that you know."
Earlier this month, the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency launched an emergency response centre in the city, providing more supplies of naloxone, a medicine that reverses overdoses, and four more paramedics.
Agency president Marlo Pritchard said there were nine suspected drug deaths in Saskatoon this month and 741 overdose calls since January. Last year, there were 291 overdose calls.
"There's a significant increase," Pritchard told reporters Tuesday.
"We're in a response phase right now. Once we can stabilize this and get ourselves out the other end, then we can look at the recovery."
Saskatoon Mayor Cynthia Block said the city is working to get more supportive housing built. It's also doing a study on establishing a one-stop spot to connect services to the unhoused.
Block said a new shelter is opening next month, but two overnight facilities are shutting down.
"We're working with the province to fill those gaps," she said.
The emergency response centre is receiving requests from community organizations, including Prairie Harm Reduction, to see where it can assist. DeMong said she has yet to hear back on her asks for help.
"The biggest thing that has been identified by lots of organizations is the need for extra people," she said. "There's been a lot of questions asked but not a lot of action."
Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party government faced questions in the legislature Wednesday, with the Opposition NDP accusing the province of not taking the crisis seriously.
"We are very concerned about the recent increase in overdoses in Saskatoon. At no point in time have I said things are going well," Addictions Minister Lori Carr told the assembly.
Carr later told reporters the province has provided the Saskatoon fire department an additional $100,000 this month to help with its response.
Saskatchewan has changed its approach to dealing with addictions by focusing more on treatment. The province is planning to add 500 detox beds, with 221 of them already in operation.
Last year, the provincial government banned health providers from giving out pipes for smoking drugs. Staff are also required to only give out the same number of needles they receive. Previously, many providers gave out more than what they collected.
Harm reduction workers panned the move by saying it would exacerbate overdoses and the transmission of viruses.
DeMong said treatment is part of the solution, but more supports are needed.
"We don't have the resources like we used to, ensuring housing is available and community supports are in place," she said.
"A solution to a lot of what we're seeing is housing, is access to mental health care and access to health care."
— By Jeremy Simes in Regina.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.
The Canadian Press
