Canada

Manitoba First Nations declare public health emergency amid drug, homelessness crisis

By
Alex Karpa

Published: 

Anisininew Okimawin declare a regional public health emergency in response to the opioid, toxic drug supply, HIV, Hepatitis C and homelessness crisis, Thursday, July 9, 2026.

WINNIPEG – Leaders of four northern Manitoba First Nations have declared a regional public health emergency in response to the opioid, toxic drug supply, HIV, hepatitis C and homelessness crisis.

The affected communities include Red Sucker Lake, Wasagamack, Garden Hill and St. Theresa Point.

The Anisininew Okimawin Grand Council (AOGC), which represents the four nations, is calling for immediate action:

  1. Formal federal and provincial recognition of the regional public health emergency.
  2. Sustained, multi-year funding for the Manitoba Anisininew Mobile Addictions Network (MAMAN) and Four Arrows Regional Health Authority (FARHA) to deliver community-based addictions medicine, harm reduction, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and treatment across the four Anisininew Nations.
  3. Investment in regional HIV, hepatitis C, and toxic drug supply surveillance and rapid response, with Anisininew data sovereignty and culturally safe, trauma-informed, non-stigmatizing care.
  4. Capital and operating investment in prevention infrastructure; including a regional hospital, housing remediation consistent with the Federal Court ruling in St. Theresa Point First Nation v. His Majesty the King, 2025 FC 1926, land-based healing, and youth education and prevention programs.
  5. Recognition and funding of First Nations policing as an essential service, with a dedicated community safety and security fund for community-led prevention, harm reduction, and antiexploitation measures.

Since 2017, 93 HIV cases were recorded across the four nations, with active outbreaks declared in St. Theresa Point, and most recently Garden Hill this past January.

St. Theresa Point has recorded 27 new HIV diagnoses since January 2025 and recently had its first AIDS case, which was declared on June 9.

Garden Hill First Nation. A map shows the location of Garden Hill First Nation, St. Theresa Point, Wasagamack, and Red Sucker Lake.

The four nations, under the AOGC, are calling on the government of Canada and the province of Manitoba to enter a sustained, treaty-based partnership to find solutions to these ongoing issues.

“We are not here to assign blame, we are here to issue an invitation,” said AOGC Grand Chief Alex McDougall in a statement.

“The era of crisis response must end, and the era of prevention, partnership, and Anisininew-led care must begin.”

CTV News has reached out to both Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) and the Manitoba government and is waiting for a response.

Earlier this year, Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in northern Manitoba declared a state of emergency, in response to a mental health crisis marked by multiple suicides in that community. Just last month, Sayisi Dene First Nation in northern Manitoba also declared a state of emergency due to severe addiction and violence.

This is a breaking news story. More details to come...