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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.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to NorWest Community Health Centres (NWCHC), an organization that offers drug checking services through a mobile outreach van.<\/p>\n
The northwestern Ontario city continues to have the highest opioid-related death rate in the province<\/a> at more than five times the Ontario average, the Office of the Chief Coroner reports.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI’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,\u201d said Nicole Fieduna, a manager at NorWest.<\/p>\n While provincial and national opioid-related death rates have gone down<\/a>, northern Ontario communities have been disproportionately affected by the crisis.<\/a><\/p>\n NWCHC has issued 10 drug alerts since April about highly toxic substances found through its drug checking services.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[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,\u201d Fieduna said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’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.\u201d<\/p>\n The drug analyzer was formerly used at the city\u2019s only supervised consumption site, Path 525, which closed at the end of March 2025.<\/a><\/p>\n Since the province\u2019s Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hubs<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Fieduna said more people have been using the van\u2019s drug checking services each month since its launch last June<\/a>, which has provided more information to community members and first responders about the ever-changing street supply.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’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,\u201d Fieduna said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe 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?\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Knowledge is power\u2019<\/p>\n The drug analyzer machine can be used to conduct trace scans \u2014 using tiny samples of a substance \u2014 or bulk scans \u2014 where a laser scans through a clear bag.<\/p>\n Recently, NorWest also began sending drug samples and used drug equipment to Toronto for more comprehensive analysis.<\/p>\n \u201cBy sending it to Toronto, we can identify new trends that haven’t even been recognized within the city quite yet,\u201d said Fieduna.<\/p>\n This information can then be shared with other front-line agencies and emergency responders, she explained.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cIt doesn’t necessarily change their use, but knowledge is power,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783329550_485_default.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783329551_116_default.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1783329551_713_default.jpg\")
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)<\/p>\n