66 opioid calls in 1 day. This is how bad the overdose crisis is, Winnipeg first responders say – CBC

Data shows they responded to 810 opioid patients in April, more than triple the 240 in April 2025

Jun 04, 2026

Front-line workers say Winnipeg is in the midst of a drug epidemic, driven by a surge in opioid overdoses that is killing users and overwhelming first responders who are dispatched to dozens of calls every day.

Dr. John Younes, Manitoba’s chief medical examiner, says he has “unequivocally” seen a surge in drug-related deaths that started about four months ago.

One of those deaths was Alysha Wallin, a 32-year-old who friends say loved cats, was the first to stand up to protect someone she loved and would give her last $5 to a stranger. She died from a fentanyl overdose in January of this year.

“It’s a horrible thing. It’s evil,” her partner, Jason Podolaniuk, said of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin. “There’s people that die every day.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/overdoses-opioids-winnipeg-emergency-services-9.7221765