Prince Albert city council will decide Monday whether to approve a $3.68-million federal grant to launch a Mobile Complex Needs Team aimed at tackling the city’s rising overdose crises.
The funding comes from Health Canada’s Emergency Treatment Fund and would support operations from September 2025 to March 2027. If approved, the initiative will bring together Community Safety Officers from the Prince Albert Police Service, medical staff from Parkland Ambulance, and crisis workers from the Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit.
City officials say the team is designed to give a faster, coordinated response when residents are in distress. Instead of contacting the police, ambulance, and social workers separately, the unit would operate as one, providing medical treatment, safety support, and crisis counselling in the field.
The proposal comes as Prince Albert continues to face overdose deaths at double the provincial average. According to the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service, 51 people in the city died from drug toxicity between 2020 and 2023.
Lyle Karasuik, director of public affairs for Parkland Ambulance, said overdoses remain a daily challenge for first responders, even though he is not connected to or aware of the city’s proposal yet.
“Overdoses don’t just happen to people who are marginalized or chronic addicts,” Karasuik said. “They can happen to seniors who mix medications or even students who are struggling. It really touches every part of the community.”
He added that spikes in overdose calls create added pressure on an already busy emergency system.
“The rest of the world doesn’t stop; we’re still responding to chest pain, breathing problems, or car crashes,” he explained. “A spike in opioid poisonings just means more on top of what paramedics are already handling.”
While Karasuik said he has no knowledge of the City’s Mobile Complex Needs Team proposal, he noted that collaborative approaches are always beneficial in health care.
“When you put people together, you always get better outcomes,” he said. “A team approach always leads to more positive results for those being served.”
City administrators say the grant would cover vehicles, equipment, and staffing across the three agencies, as well as a wheelchair-accessible van for counselling. The city’s Community Safety and Well-Being Division would oversee the program and track its impact.
Supporters say the model will reduce emergency room visits, free up police for other calls, and help connect high-risk individuals with long-term treatment and housing supports. It would also complement the city’s upcoming Complex Needs Facility and other shelter initiatives by improving transport and referral pathways.
If approved, the mayor and city clerk will be authorized to sign the agreement with Health Canada and begin preparations for the team.
