First Nations leaders say B.C. hasn’t made much progress in preventing outsized impact of toxic drug crisis – CBC

Apr 14, 2026

A decade in, some nations are funding their own grassroots response to the crisis

Wilson Williams remembers his older brother Adam as an avid fisherman and Vancouver Canucks fan, who spent their childhood looking out for his younger brother and, in recent years, acted as a caregiver to their mother.

“He always brought a smile, even though he was having a tough day,” said Williams, also known as Sxwíxwtn, who is the elected councillor for the Squamish Nation.

Williams heard many stories of all the people Adam helped in his life, following his brother’s fatal overdose in December. Since October 2025, a total of 10 members of the Squamish Nation have fatally overdosed, which caused the nation to declare a state of emergency late last year.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/first-nations-toxic-drug-crisis-9.7162548