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    • Saugeen 'state of emergency' to draw attention to opioid epidemic

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    In the past year, 62 members of the Saugeen First Nation have overdosed on drugs, predominantly opioids, according to Chief Conrad Ritchie.

    "And that’s just the ones that are noted. Where emergency personnel responded to it. Like we don’t know that actual numbers," says Chief Ritchie.

    At the urging of their community, Saugeen First Nation council has declared a "State of Emergency" over their opioid epidemic, that has led to a rise in crime, violence, and death.

    “Everybody in the community is sick and tired of seeing people die, left and right. It’s coming to the point, where even myself, I’m getting numb,” says Saugeen First Nation councillor, Richelle Ritchie.

    There’s no curfews, or new community rules, as a result of the State of Emergency, but Saugeen council has started a task force to try and come up with ideas, to help their community. Among the ideas, upping education, prevention, and policing on the reserve.

    "Underfunding in policing is something that is nationwide, with First Nations," says Saugeen First Nation councillor, Audra Root, who recently lost a family member to a drug overdose.

    A recent drug bust in Grey-Bruce, netted $60,000 worth of suspected drugs, and led to charges against two people from outside the region.

    Drugs found after traffic stop in Owen Sound on Thursday December 15, 2022 (Source: Grey Bruce OPP)"There’s people coming in from the cities, dangerous people at that. What’s it going to take for us to protect our people from that," says Councillor Ritchie.

    Saugeen First Nation Council know they aren’t going to solve their community’s opioid problem overnight, nor will a State of Emergency solve it, but it has brought attention to a problem, that many other regions, are turning a blind eye to, says Chief Ritchie.

    "It’s all around us. It’s not just in Saugeen. In the counties, and small towns, you’ll see the same issues and problems. It’s just here we said something. We are putting a voice to that," says Ritchie.

    Chief Ritchie says there is no timeline for the end of the State of Emergency. He suspects they’ll keep it in place, long enough, to the get the attention and resources required to help their community. 

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