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More than 70 per cent of street drugs recently tested in Thunder Bay, Ont., have contained a veterinary tranquillizer called medetomidine.
That’s according to NorWest Community Health Centres (NWCHC), an organization that offers drug checking services through a mobile outreach van.
The northwestern Ontario city continues to have the highest opioid-related death rate in the province at more than five times the Ontario average, the Office of the Chief Coroner reports.
“I’ve learned to kind of expect the unexpected; you never really know what you can find. There’s always a new substance that surprises me, that frustrates me,” said Nicole Fieduna, a manager at NorWest.
While provincial and national opioid-related death rates have gone down, northern Ontario communities have been disproportionately affected by the crisis.
NWCHC has issued 10 drug alerts since April about highly toxic substances found through its drug checking services.
A close-up of the drug analyzer machine inside the mobile outreach van in Thunder Bay, Ont. Test results are ready within minutes. (Sarah Law/CBC)
“[In] some of the samples, we’ve seen as many as six or seven different kinds of substances in the drug, and that’s what’s really concerning,” Fieduna said.
“It’s important for us to be able to understand drug trends so we can respond more accordingly. Because it changes so quickly, we need to be able to pivot all the time.”
The drug analyzer was formerly used at the city’s only supervised consumption site, Path 525, which closed at the end of March 2025.
NorWest Community Health Centres’ mobile outreach van meets clients where they’re at rather than operating on a fixed route. It operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. ET until 4:30 p.m. ET and can be reached at 807-630-8631. (Marc Doucette/CBC)
Since the province’s Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs do not allow substances on site, NWCHC sought a federal exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to continue operating its drug analyzer machine on the van, instead.
Fieduna said more people have been using the van’s drug checking services each month since its launch last June, which has provided more information to community members and first responders about the ever-changing street supply.
“It’s nice to see that word of mouth is kind of spreading, that we are a safe space, that we are confidential, that there is no judgment when you come,” Fieduna said.
“We know that people are doing substances and if we can’t change that factor, then why not provide as much education as possible around safe use?”
‘Knowledge is power’
The drug analyzer machine can be used to conduct trace scans — using tiny samples of a substance — or bulk scans — where a laser scans through a clear bag.
Recently, NorWest also began sending drug samples and used drug equipment to Toronto for more comprehensive analysis.
“By sending it to Toronto, we can identify new trends that haven’t even been recognized within the city quite yet,” said Fieduna.
Nicole Fieduna, a manager at NorWest Community Health Centres in Thunder Bay, Ont., says it’s important for individuals and community partners to gain a better understanding of what’s inside substances being sold on the streets. (Marc Doucette/CBC)
This information can then be shared with other front-line agencies and emergency responders, she explained.
At the individual level, whether they’re a long-time drug user or an occasional user, checking one’s drugs allows them to make more informed decisions about whether they want to consume them, Fieduna added.
“It doesn’t necessarily change their use, but knowledge is power,” she said.
Fieduna encourages people to download the LifeguardConnect app for free on their mobile devices, which features a ‘use alone’ timer. If the timer isn’t stopped, this may signal the user has overdosed, and emergency services are notified of their location.
NorWest uses the app to send out its drug alerts. It also features local resources for people who use drugs as well as their loved ones.
The mobile outreach van operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. ET until 4:30 p.m. ET. People can connect with the vehicle directly and find its location by calling 807-630-8631.