The City of Lloydminster is not considering a State of Local Emergency in response to last week’s overdose surge, according to communications coordinator Nyah Foote.
In a statement dated July 22, Foote said that declaration exists to grant extraordinary powers under the Emergency Management Act during sudden, extraordinary emergencies, not as a route to request provincial support.
Lloydminster Fire Rescue responded to 16 overdose-related calls between July 14 and July 16, Foote confirmed. That figure counts fire calls specifically and is not necessarily the same measure as the overdose total described by EMS sources.
Foote said firefighters also conducted precautionary foot patrols and welfare checks in the downtown area during several incidents, to check for additional people needing medical help.
Foote said Lloydminster community peace officers carry naloxone and are trained to administer it. She said city emergency services have an adequate supply of naloxone and there is no shortage affecting operations, a statement that runs counter to community organizer Tigra Lee Campbell’s account of a desperate shortage in the aftermath.
Foote said addictions and public health services fall under provincial jurisdiction. She said the city continues to monitor the situation, support life safety initiatives, and work with provincial partners as needed. RCMP and community peace officers continue proactive patrols and crime reduction efforts in key areas, she said.
Foote directed questions about the total number of community overdoses to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, saying overdose response involves multiple agencies.
What happened July 15
BorderPulse reported last week that at least 18 overdoses occurred in Lloydminster’s downtown core within a two hour span the night of July 15.
According to officials close to the incident, it started around 5:45 p.m. with an EMS call downtown for a suspected overdose.
As is protocol, according to RCMP in previous Border Pulse stories, all available emergency resources are sent to the location to administer aid.
EMS dispatch traffic captured during the incident indicated some patients required more than one dose of naloxone.
From there, according to Campbell, who is with Lloydminster and Vermilion for Equity, it became a chain reaction of overdoses.
“We were talking to EMS workers while at the hospital checking on a few of the victims,” said Campbell. “They said they had no fewer than 18 overdoses in the past two hours.”
Witnesses described at least three fire trucks, a dozen firefighters, and command vehicles in the downtown area. One source estimated no fewer than 10 emergency vehicles and two dozen workers on scene at one point.
Firefighters were seen walking grid searches on foot, looking for anyone who might need help. Ambulances arrived from as far away as Wainwright.
As of today, as far as BorderPulse knows, everyone involved survived.
Province response
BorderPulse asked the Saskatchewan Health Authority to confirm how many people overdosed that day and how far EMS crews were pulled from to help. SHA directed the questions to Medavie. Medavie had already told BorderPulse it could not answer them.
A statement sent through Executive Council on behalf of Mental Health and Addictions Minister Lori Carr did not address either question.
The statement pointed to 673.7 million dollars in the 2026-27 provincial budget for mental health and addictions programs, and said 382 of a planned 500 new addiction treatment spaces are now open across the province.
It said the Lloydminster emergency department is stocked with naloxone and staff are trained to use it. It did not address reports of a naloxone shortage at the community level.
The statement did not say whether the province plans to review the July 15 response, or whether additional supports are being considered for Lloydminster specifically.
Read more: Emergency crews on scene in downtown Lloydminster Monday morning
where is the ‘leader’ that Lloydminster residents’ taxes pay to get some of this b.s. under control?
Hiding? Doesn’t want to deal with it??
Where is the leader of Lloydminster, which was VOTED BY THE PEOPLE??
He’s spending hours upon hours a week, banging his head against a wall after nearly a decade of trying to get either province to recognize we exist. The Sask. MLA has a reputation for trying her best as well. Also, no one ran against him last time, people had the opportunity to put their money where their keyboards are, but didn’t.
This is, at the heart of it, a healthcare issue, which, in the end is NOT the City’s responsibility. With that said, we are investing $300,000 in a plan which is supposed to help.