Homalco First Nation declares state of emergency over toxic drug deaths

Photo: VIA GOOGLE STREET VIEW

Homalco First Nation office.

A Campbell River-area First Nation has declared a state of emergency in response to the “escalating” opioid crisis in the community.

In the last six months, four young people from the Homalco First Nation have died as a result of toxic drugs, with the latest death last weekend, according to Chief Darren Blaney.

A community meeting is being held Friday from 5 to 7 p.m. to discuss the situation and develop strategies “to combat the crisis.”

“We are calling on the provincial government to immediately engage with Homalco, and all other First Nation communities who have declared a state of emergency on Vancouver Island, in a government-to-government process to come up with immediate solutions and long-term plans,” Blaney said in a statement.

“Our voices are stronger together, and we cannot fight these issues alone. We need to support one another, now more than ever.”

First Nations people make up only 3.4 per cent of B.C.’s population but accounted for 18.9 per cent of toxic drug deaths between January and June 2024, according to the First Nations Health Authority.

The Homalco First Nation has said it installed cameras around the reserve to identify people and licence plates related to trafficking of drugs, but even with the help of police that hasn’t stopped drugs getting into the hands of residents.

The First Nation says it wants more support from the provincial and federal government as well as the First Nations Health Authority for a trauma centre to address the intergenerational pain that may be leading some members to use drugs.

The Homalco territory includes all of Bute Inlet and Homathco Icefield, extends west to Campbell River, south to Comox and north to Sayward, including the Discovery Islands and the Discovery Passage, according to the First Nation’s website.

There are 450 people registered with the Homalco Band and 270 who live on the reserve, which has one alcohol and drug counsellor.

The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, representing 14 First Nations on Vancouver Island, also declared a state of emergency in September related to the toxic-drug crisis.

The tribal council called for the provincial and federal governments, as well as B.C.’s health authorities, to provide more detox, recovery and treatment.

First Nations Health Authority data show First Nations people died from toxic drug poisoning at 6.7 times the rate of other B.C. residents from January to June 2024.

During that period, 222 First Nations people died of causes related to toxic drug poisoning, and 47 per cent were younger than age 40.

The toxic drug crisis was declared a public health emergency in 2016 and has killed 16,000 people in the province since then.

Recently, the B.C. Coroners Service reported a “significant decline” in toxic drug deaths, with 1,925 recorded in the first 10 months of 2024, a nine per cent decrease from the 2,107 deaths in the same period in 2023.