News from Thunder Bay: Those are the words John O’Nabigon shared over the weekend after losing another young local residents member to a medicine overdose.
The chief of Long Lake #58 First Nation, located about 300 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay in northwestern Ontario, is taking action following the third drug-related death of a young person this year. “This loss is tragic and is another painful reminder of the ongoing pharmaceutical crisis affecting our local residents,” he wrote in a statement to his local residents. Frustrated by perceived inaction at various levels of government, O’Nabigon shared he has now hired an Indigenous-run security company to run checkpoints in the local residents.
That comes after Long Lake #58 declared a state of urgent response in January over“drug traffickers who aresupplying to vulnerable members in our the area.” This spring, the area declared an additionaljoint state of crisis alongside neighbouring Ginoogaming First Nationover the same issue. The communities are closely connected, with their members sharing many familial ties. “These types of losses that we've been having in our communities, especially our young people, we should not be losing them at such a rapid [rate],” Ginoogaming’s Chief Sheri Taylor told CBC News on Thursday. Ginoogaming first declared a state of emergencyin May 2024“due to an expansion in violence and medicine and alcohol-related crime in the citizens, which has overwhelmed leadership and is causing local residents members to fear for their safety.” Despite numerous critical incident declarations being made, Taylor says provincial, federal and policing collaborators have failed to address the communities’ apprehension.
O’Nabigon indicated he’s had productive conversations with the OPP in recent weeks about the importance of increased surveillance, visibility, intelligence gathering and the region policing in Long Lake #58.
What's behind reduction in opioid-related deaths, rise in 911 calls in Ontario? Researcher gives insight Pair of First Nations in northwestern Ontario declare joint state of crisis over pharmaceutical trafficking “I find government tends to think that a state of urgent response or an critical incident is temporary,” Taylor confirmed. “Some financial support that might be available to address maybe an immediate need is not what I call taking us away or out of a crisis.” Just over 560 people live in Long Lake #58, which is served by the Ontario Provincial Officers (OPP), while more than 200 people live in Ginoogaming, where the Anishinabek Law enforcement Service (APS) oversees policing. Both communities are part of the Thunder Bay district, which continues to have the highest opioid-related death rate in Ontario — nearly five times the provincial average — according to numbers from the Office of the Chief Coronerreleased earlier this month. “Since declaring a state of urgent response, chief and council have repeatedly called on all levels of government and policing agencies for stronger enforcement, greater resources, and a co-ordinated response to the trafficking of dangerous drugs into our the area,” O’Nabigon wrote. “We will once again be writing to senior federal and provincial leaders, the OPP, and the RCMP to demand an immediate and co-ordinated response.” A spokesperson for APS provided an emailed statement to CBC News on Thursday, saying“drug traffickers importing violence to prey on the most vulnerable in First Nations communities is not new.” “With increasing frequency, the Anishinabek Authorities Service (APS) is intercepting drugs being trafficked north from the Greater Toronto Area, includingthese arrestsandthese medicine and weapons seizures related to Effort Corridor,” wrote communications lead Jennifer Hartman. “Front-line APS officers, in collaboration with our Major Crime Unit, continue to support Ginoogaming First Nation directly through focused enforcement and intelligence-led investigations.” As for the RCMP, a spokesperson told CBC News in an email Friday morning that it “is responsible for keeping the border responsible between the ports of entry and remains committed to working collaboratively with Indigenous leadership, policing organizations, and other stakeholders to combat serious and organized crime in support of the public safety.” In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) confirmed Long Lake #58's “initiative to bring together organizations for a co-ordinated approach to the area safety is a strong path forward.” Long Lake #58 received more than $1.3 million dollars in the last fiscal year for mental wellness programming and services, and also has a mental wellness team jointly funded by the provincial and federal governments, wrote ISC'sJacinthe Goulet. CBC News has also reached out to the provincial government, and OPP for comment and is awaiting their responses. O’Nabigon indicated he’s had productive conversations with the OPP in recent weeks about the importance of increased surveillance, visibility, intelligence gathering and the region policing in Long Lake #58. “They're starting to listen to us now and hearing us,” O’Nabigon told CBC News on Thursday. Taking matters into its own hands, Ginoogaming passed acommunity protection order bylawin May and has hired a security group called Anishinaabe Ambassadors Inc. to help prevent illegal drug-related activities. “Under our treaty, we have a right to have protection in our citizens and those gaps are real. We don't have the protection. So as a public, as a First Nation, when we declared this state of urgent response, we had no choice to bring in those extra supports because we're not receiving it from our law enforcement,” Taylor indicated. O’Nabigon remarked Long Lake #58 has hired that same group, and that it’s expected to set up the region checkpoints there over the weekend. The program has seen positive results so far in Ginoogaming, stated Taylor, and “people arenoticing the change.” “I am very grateful that we do have security measures in place for my the public and I know my the region feels the same way.” Southern Ontario medicine traffickers prompt state of urgent situation in Long Lake #58 First Nation As for the issue of addiction, O’Nabigon noted he’s continuing to advocate for more professional services to be delivered in the local residents so that people don't have totravel elsewhere for care. “We're talking about making treatment more available, detoxing and making that more available,” he noted. “The aftercare and the prevention at the region level is what we really need to do.” His hope is that medicine dealers in both First Nations are held accountable for the harm they’re causing, and that the area members continue to look out for each other. Sarah Law is a CBC News reporter based in Thunder Bay, Ont., and has also worked for newspapers and online publications elsewhere in the province. Have a story tip? You can reach her at sarah.law@cbc.ca. It is a priority for CBC to create products that are accessible to all in Canada including people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive challenges. Closed Captioning and Described Video is available for many CBC shows offered onCBC Gem..
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📍 Source: CBC News Thunder Bay · By: CBC News Staff · 🗓️ August 14, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
