Eight kilograms of fentanyl seized by the Saskatchewan RCMP during a traffic stop last month. (Saskatchewan RCMP/Submitted)

By CKOM News Staff

Saskatchewan government taking new steps to curb fentanyl, meth

Feb 25, 2025 | 3:43 PM

The provincial government announced a suite of new measures on Tuesday aiming to curb the production, transportation, sale and use of methamphetamine and fentanyl in Saskatchewan.

According to the Government of Saskatchewan, fentanyl and methamphetamine “are increasingly the cause of overdose deaths, violent crime and community instability.” By addressing the drug issue on both the supply and demand sides, the government said it aims to reduce drug-related harm, improve public safety and foster stability in communities around the province.

The changes include the creation of provincial penalties, “including fines up to $1 million in some cases” for unauthorized production, transportation and distribution of the two drugs.

The new measures also include policies that would cancel provincial licences for those convicted of drug-related crimes, including driver’s licences, firearms licences, hunting and fishing licences and potentially business and municipal licences as well, along with provincial benefits.

“These drugs have caused immense harm in our communities, leading to addiction, crime and loss of life,” Tim McLeod, Saskatchewan’s justice minister, said in a statement.

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“We are taking a firm stance to disrupt the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine while also providing options for offenders to access the resources necessary for recovery.”

Other measures announced on Tuesday include focusing efforts under 2009 legislation that allows the government to seize property that was gained through illegal activity or was used during a crime, prioritizing drug-related offenders to ensure they are arrested and held accountable for their actions, and updating the Trespass to Property Regulations “to classify drug use and other disruptive activities as trespassing, to defend against these activities in semi-public spaces.”

The provincial government said it will also look at updating the fine option program, to allow convicted criminals to receive credit against court-imposed fines if they complete addictions programming.

Finally, the province said it will classify “dangerous, drug-related items” as street weapons, which will allow police to seize them and – in some cases – lay charges.

The announcements follow several major fentanyl busts in Saskatchewan, including the seizure of eight kilograms of the powerful opioid by RCMP officers during a traffic stop on Highway 1 in the Swift Current area on January 29.

More recently, police in Regina seized 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl, along with cash, weapons and other drugs, following the conclusion of a four-month investigation last week.

At the national level, Canada recently named Kevin Brosseau, a former senior Mountie, to act as the country’s “fentanyl czar,” in a move intended to curb cross-border traffic of the drug following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump.