THUNDER BAY — This mobile outreach van in Thunder Bay, Ont., offers free drug-checking services.
More than 70 per cent of street drugs recently tested in Thunder Bay, Ont., have contained a veterinary tranquillizer called medetomidine, according to NorWest The area Health Centres (NWCHC). The northwestern Ontario community continues to have thehighest opioid-related death rate in the provinceat more than five times the Ontario average,the Office of the Chief Coroner reports. “I've learned to kind of expect the unexpected; you never really know what you can find.
There's always a new substance that surprises me, that frustrates me,” confirmed Nicole Fieduna, a manager at NorWest,which offers drug-checking services through a mobile outreach van. While provincial and national opioid-related death rateshave dropped, northern Ontario communities have beendisproportionately affected by the crisis. NWCHC has published 10 medicine alerts since April about highly toxic substances found through its drug-checking services. “[In] some of the samples, we've seen as many as six or seven different kinds of substances in the medicine, and that's what's really concerning,” Fieduna indicated.
“By sending it to Toronto, we can identify new trends that haven't even been recognized within the community quite yet,” shared Fieduna.
“It's essential for us to be able to understand pharmaceutical trends so we can respond more accordingly. Because it changes so quickly, we need to be able to pivot all the time.” The medicine analyzer was formerly used at the city’s only supervised consumption site, Path 525,which closed at the end of March 2025. Since the province’sHomelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubsdo not allow substances on site, NWCHC sought a federal exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to continue operating its pharmaceutical analyzer machine on the van, instead. Fieduna indicated more people have been using the van’s drug-checking services each monthsince its launch last June, which has provided more information to the public members and first responders about the ever-changing street supply. Opiate deaths dropped 23% in 2025 — bringing 'cautious optimism' from Canada's top doctor This mobile walk-in clinic in Thunder Bay, Ont., aims to make health-care less intimidating “It's nice to see that word of mouth is kind of spreading, that we are a secure space, that we are confidential, that there is no judgment when you come,” Fieduna shared. “We know that people are doing substances and if we can't change that factor, then why not provide as much education as possible around responsible use?” The medicine analyzer machine can be used to conduct trace scans — using tiny samples of a substance — or bulk scans — where a laser scans through a clear bag. Recently, NorWest also began sending pharmaceutical samples and used pharmaceutical supplies to Toronto for more comprehensive analysis. “By sending it to Toronto, we can identify new trends that haven't even been recognized within the community quite yet,” shared Fieduna. This information can then be shared with other front-line agencies and critical incident responders, she explained. At the individual level, whether they're a long-time pharmaceutical user or an occasional user, checking one's drugs allows them to make more informed decisions about whether they want to consume them, Fieduna added. Province sees big fall in opioid-related death statistics as northern Ontario maintains highest numbers New space for managed alcohol program in the Lakehead region, Ont., honours former resident Fieduna encourages people to downloadthe LifeguardConnect appfor free on their mobile devices, which features a "use alone" timer. If the timer isn’t stopped, this may signal the user has overdosed and urgent situation services are notified of their location. NorWest uses the app to send out its pharmaceutical alerts. It also features community resources for people who use drugs and their loved ones. The mobile outreach van operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. ET until 4:30 p.m. People can connect with the vehicle directly and find its locationby calling 807-630-8631. Sarah Law is a CBC News reporter based in the northwestern Ontario hub, 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..
Community members are encouraged to stay informed and share this information with friends and family. Following trusted local news sources helps ensure everyone stays up to date with events and announcements affecting Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario.
🔗 Read the original report from Web Search
For more local news, weather, sports, events, and community updates across Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, visit ThunderBay.Online — your trusted source for everything happening in the region.
📍 Source: Web Search · By: News Staff · 🗓️ August 02, 2026 · 🏠 ThunderBay.Online
