Some First Nation leaders say they’re encouraged by a recent bust that saw $1.3 million worth of drugs heading for their remote northern communities seized and taken off the black market.
“It is good to know that everybody is working to alleviate some of the ways the drugs are getting into the northern communities,” said Webequie First Nation Chief Cornelius Wabasse.
Multiple police forces, including the Thunder Bay Police Service, OPP and Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service, released the results of a six-month long drug investigation Wednesday.
Dubbed Project Harrington, the operation looked at the drug trafficking of Oxycodone and cocaine to various remote First Nation communities and led to the seizure of more than $1.3 million worth of drugs.
The gang members used both airplanes and the seasonal winter roads to bring the drugs into the communities and NAPS Chief Claude Chum said the bust was just the tip of the iceberg as there are still about eight gangs operating in the drug trade.
While the results of Project Harrington are encouraging, Wabasse said prescription drug addiction is a big problem in his community.
“The drug issue has trickled into our community for the past three or four years. It has expanded to our families and to our community. It has created impacts,” he said.
Ultimately the solution to the drug problem lies with each individual, Wabasse said.
“I think these people have to start realizing that this is addictive and they have to realize the impacts, the problems it causes. They have to think twice before they even take that. I know there are challenges out there and that has caused families to fall,” he said.
One way the community is working on the program is through Suboxone treatment, a medication used to treat opiate dependence.
Wabasse said many of Webequie’s young people are in that program, but it’s still a struggle.
Marten Falls First Nation has also used the Suboxone treatment for its community members who are addicted to opiates like Oxycodone.
Chief Eli Moonias said the program seems to be working, but it’s expensive. The first session cost the community $90,000. The next is expected to cost about $60,000.
So, Moonias was pleased to hear about the Project Harrington investigation.
“It is good to hear there is some work with the drug units out there,” he said, adding the drug problem in Marten Falls is a serious issue.
“It’s bad,” he said. “We need to do something to get the people off of them because it’s not like when you got to the bar and have a drink one night and in the morning you sober up. It’s not like that with these drugs. They keep taking them and never sober up. They trip forever. Until your body breaks down.”
Moonias said the community has been focusing on fixing the problem for the past year, especially with all the potential impending benefits of the Ring of Fire.
“There’s a lot of talk of Ring of Fire, development and employment and training and all these discussions going on. None of that’s going to help us if we don’t get off these drugs,” he said.
For now, the community will continue to do what it can to help those addicted kick the habit.
“We’re doing what we can do so far. We came up with this idea of the Suboxone treatment. We’re hoping it’s going to work. It seems to work a little bit so far. How far it will go, I don’t know,” said Moonias.
“If that doesn’t work I guess we’ll have to go back to the drawing board and look for other solutions.”
