Like many other cities across Canada, the Edmonton region has experienced a significant increase in opioid-related deaths. In March only, 87 deaths were reported, the most in any single month since records started being kept in 2016. Health advocates and public safety officials—including police and sheriffs—are understandably spooked by this trend. They are overwhelmed by a public health crisis that is in no danger of abating.
Elaane Hyshka, an influential researcher and spokesperson, observed an unprecedented increase in calls to emergency medical services (EMS) at the start of 2025. In the first quarter, Alberta’s EMS callouts for opioid-related incidents ranged from about 40 to just under 230 per week. Unfortunately, these data speak to a pervasive and alarming trend—increasing rates of opioid-involved deaths. Edmonton, surprisingly, accounts for almost all of the provincial increase.
“It’s very horrific, frankly, to see such a big spike in deaths in Edmonton,” Hyshka remarked. She stressed the need for public engagement during this crisis. “When we are experiencing a period of heightened overdose, the public has a right to know,” she added, urging caution among users.
As Marliss Taylor, a leading authority on addiction services, told Council, there are many factors that contributed to this increase. She cited the arrival of carfentanil—a veterinarian-use, synthetic opioid—as well as greater adulteration of the drug supply. Large-scale drug busts have further disrupted the local drug market, replacing available drugs with more lethal substances. During his time as commissioner, Taylor described a reduction in outreach teams who can help meet people where they’re at in their substance use. “There are less outreach workers that are available to help the community deal with this,” she stated.
It’s the socioeconomic issues on top of it, too. Taylor said Edmontonians are increasingly using substances alone. This spike is directly due to encampment removals combined with a lack of frontline workers to assist. The implementation of Title IX has been to strip away resources for those looking for assistance.
Even with those difficulties, Alberta’s department of health’s Nathaniel Dueck delivered a message of optimism. Here, he reiterated that Alberta is taking a wait-and-see approach and has seen successes throughout the province. “We’ve been monitoring the situation closely along with our municipal partners,” he said.
In recognition of the ongoing opioid crisis, Alberta has taken bold steps to expand the availability of treatment. In response, last year the province added more than 10,000 publicly funded treatment spaces. In addition to this, they removed daily user fees for residential treatment. After extensive renovations, the recovery communities began welcoming clients in early May 2023. They’re looking to grow, as adding at least eight more communities will help maximize their coordinated response to addiction.
But despite these efforts, even as they’re just getting started, figures paint a dire picture. In contrast, in all of 2024, carfentanil was present in just 16 percent of opioid-related deaths in Edmonton. This typical number exploded to 70 percent in the first quarter of 2025.
