Behchokǫ̀ is now part of a new national wastewater surveillance program, aimed at spotting emerging drug trends.
The National Wastewater Drug Surveillance initiative, run by Health Canada, launched in 2023 to study drug presence across Canada by analyzing municipal wastewater.
In a Facebook post, Chief of Behchokǫ̀ Bertha Rabesca Zoe shared a summary of findings from wastewater samples collected in September and October 2025 at the Rae and Edzo sites.
Several new substances were detected during both months, according to those results. The chief’s post asserted that the presence of multiple substances at the same time indicates polysubstance use, significantly increasing the risk of overdose and mental health crises.
Data collected showed stimulants were the most commonly detected class of substances, Rabesca Zoe wrote. Opioids, hallucinogens and sedatives were also found, along with fentanyl and fentanyl analogues.
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“We recognize the important work already being done by community organizations, agencies, and leadership, and we see this data as a tool to strengthen collaboration and support,” Zoe wrote online. (She could not be reached for an interview.)
“These findings remind us that we are not alone facing complex challenges and that coordinated community-wide approaches matter. By working together – across health, wellness, culture, housing and harm reduction – we can continue to build safer, more supportive spaces for everyone in Behchokǫ̀ and Edzo.”
Program is expanding
A spokesperson for Health Canada said sites in nine provinces and territories have been participating in the National Wastewater Drug Surveillance (NWDS) program since November 2025.
Health Canada has made NWDS data publicly available through a new online dashboard that provides information at the national and provincial or territorial level, but does not release municipal or community-level data.
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The department said the data, which is updated quarterly, does not include identifiers for participating communities or residents.
“While site-specific monitoring results are shared with the participating municipality, we do not have permission from these communities to release municipal information more broadly,” the spokesperson stated.
The federal government plans to continue expanding the NWDS program to include more communities, with the goal of covering all provinces and territories and achieving nationally representative data.
Monfwi MLA Jane Weyallon Armstrong said Behchokǫ̀’s participation in the program will help provide clearer data on the substances circulating locally.
Armstrong said drug activity is no longer limited to one community and is being reported across the region, including in smaller communities. She pointed to RCMP drug busts as evidence that trafficking routes have expanded.
According to her, the consequences of addiction are already affecting the region’s future, noting that while not all young people are involved, some are experimenting with drugs that carry serious and lasting consequences.
Armstrong said addressing the issue requires open conversation, awareness, and support for those struggling with addiction.
“I think we need to start speaking out about it and let young people know to reach out for help. We’re not there to condemn them. We’re there to support them because addiction is a serious issue,” she said.
“I am a grandma and I’m a mother. A lot of parents and grandparents, they do worry about their children – about the future of their grandchildren, as well.”
