FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — Fort William First Nation has received federal funding to hire a public safety and emergency coordinator to help it deal with an ongoing drug addiction emergency.
"This will help address the state of emergency, and relieve some of the pressure off Chief (Michele Solomon), council and community as they co-ordinate a path forward," a spokesman for Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) said on Thursday.
The decision to create the position was made following a meeting this week between FWFN band leadership and Indigenous Services Canada Minister Patty Hajdu (Thunder Bay-Superior North).
Last week Fort William First Nation declared a state of emergency over an "escalating situation" related to opioid drugs.
Solomon said that in addition to reaching out to community, police and treaty partners, the community would be seeking more federal and provincial funding to help it deal with the crisis.
Solomon said council is aware of the concerns about drug use that have been raised by band members on social media.
In one online post, a community member implored people to "remember that people who are addicted are people and are simply sick and need help."
"Please try to not judge people when they are sick and hurting," the post added.
During a news conference about the state of emergency, Solomon said the community's close proximity to Thunder Bay has made it "very vulnerable" to exposure to drugs and people affiliated with violence in the city.
"We know our community has been experiencing violence," she said.
Solomon said proposed strategies to deal with the opioid crisis would be presented in a few weeks, with community input being sought.
In a statement this week, Indigenous Services Canada said "there is no one-size-fits-all solution to this crisis."
In March, the statement said, ISC approved $138,000 to fund two first response coordinators "in support of" the Fort William First Nation Medical Response Team.
Over 2023 and 2024, the department earmarked about $650 million nationally "to help address the mental wellness needs of First Nations and Inuit populations."
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
