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B.C. drug deaths up in March from the month before, but down from previous years
VICTORIA — British Columbia’s coroners’ service says 135 people died in March due to suspected unregulated drug poisoning, up from 115 people the month before. The figures have been ticking down over the last two years, with drug toxicity killing…
Cannabis raids in N.S., N.B., Ontario tied to transnational organized crime, RCMP say
FREDERICTON — The RCMP say several raids last month across three provinces were linked to a wider investigation involving transnational organized crime. However, police did not give details about the operation in their statement Thursday to The Canadian Press. They…
Suspected cocaine, fentanyl, mushrooms seized as two arrested in Kelowna, B.C., bust
KELOWNA — Two men have been arrested in a co-ordinated bust in British Columbia’s Interior that saw police seize more than 10 kilograms of illicit substances along with other items related to a drug distribution operation. RCMP in Kelowna, B.C.,…
B.C. children’s representative says drug crisis having staggering impact on kids
The toxic drug crisis that has killed thousands of people in British Columbia has had a “staggeringly high” impact on the youngest in the province, not only killing hundreds but leaving many more as orphans, the province’s representative for children…
B.C. ‘chemical fingerprint’ scheme to track illicit drugs is likened to DNA tests
VANCOUVER — Tucked in the basement of the chemistry building at the University of British Columbia, an arm-sized robot carries out the repetitive task of collecting and weighing colourful vials as machinery whirrs in the background. It’s part of a…
Crown can seek forfeiture of seized assets in derailed Quebec drug cases: top court
OTTAWA — The Supreme Court of Canada says the Crown can seek the forfeiture of assets seized in a drug probe even though the criminal cases against most of the accused were set aside. The matter began when several people…
First Nations overdose deaths in B.C. drop in 2025, but still disproportionally high
VANCOUVER — The number of overdose deaths of First Nations people in British Columbia dropped by about a third in 2025 but the population continues to be disproportionately impacted by the province’s toxic drug crisis that has killed more than…
Almost 40 kg of fentanyl, fentanyl-like products seized at Chilliwack, B.C., lab
VICTORIA — RCMP say the cleanup of an illicit drug-production superlab in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley cost hundreds of thousands of dollars after the initial bust where 40 kilograms of fentanyl and its analogs were discovered along with 5,000 kilograms…
‘Desperately missed’ victims honoured as B.C. marks 10 years of toxic drug emergency
VICTORIA — Paula Beardy said her grandson Sheldon Beardy was a good kid. He would have turned 28 on Monday. But his mother died last year, and after attending her memorial service in August, Sheldon also died of a drug…
Man wanted in B.C. drug-ring case arrested in Germany, returned to Canada
SURREY — A man has been arrested and extradited back to Canada from Germany after a four-year police investigation uncovered an alleged dark-web trafficking ring that distributed counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. A statement from the RCMP’s Pacific region drug and…
Decade of death: With 18,000 lives lost, B.C. counts cost of 10-year drug emergency
VANCOUVER — Brandon Jansen’s mother says he was a warm and inviting “health nut” who enjoyed time at the gym. He was also known for taking people under his wing at some of the 13 drug treatment facilities he attended…
Photo gallery: A decade of death — B.C. counts drug emergency’s cost
Next week marks the 10th anniversary of the declaration of a public health emergency in response to British Columbia’s drug overdose crisis, which has since claimed more than 18,000 lives. Grieving friends and families, former policy makers, medical workers and…
N.S. premier blasts First Nation highway blockades, calls for RCMP to be respected
Tensions between the Nova Scotia government and First Nations leaders flared up over the weekend amid a continuing debate over who has jurisdiction in Indigenous communities. Premier Tim Houston says blocking highways “is never acceptable” after protestors set up multiple…
Ontario man pleads guilty to running drug ring that brought meth, cocaine into Canada
LOS ANGELES — An Ontario man has pleaded guilty to running a drug-trafficking operation that U.S. officials say brought hundreds of kilograms of meth and cocaine worth up to US$17 million from the United States into Canada. The U.S. Attorney’s…
Ontario border officer arrested in drug trafficking, import case
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE — An Ontario border officer has been arrested in a drug trafficking investigation. The officer and a driver who allegedly brought a truck load of drugs and tobacco across the border are facing the same charges, including for drug…
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