‘I loved him’: How one Regina group is making a difference preventing overdoses

The opioid crisis remains a hot button issue in Saskatchewan as the province faces a growing number of suspected overdose deaths.

Clint Saulteaux is one person who knows the pain of losing a loved one all too well. His brother died of an overdose earlier this year.

“I looked up to him,” Saulteaux said. “He was my role model growing up and even though we’re both older, he was still my brother… I loved him.”

In order to help people learn more about overdose prevention and the services available, the Regina Overdose Outreach Team held a free BBQ for the community in Victoria Park on Friday.

It’s events like this that have helped Saulteaux with the grieving process.

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“It’s great that I live in a city where there are a lot of agencies that provide those resources,” he said.  “We’re not so closed minded about harm reduction.”

The overdose outreach team began as a pilot project in 2022, providing access to counselling and addiction programs.

“Say someone has an overdose and, after he’s taken care of and stable, a number of people can refer them to us,” Brian Looker, a paramedic who works with  the Regina Overdose Team, said.

“It could be the fire department, it could be EMS, it could be the hospital or one of their family members or the person that had an overdose themselves.”

Those who deal with the team say the program has been successful. Especially at Regina’s temporary emergency shelter ‘New Beginnings.’

“What we’ve been able to see is a fast-tracked service for people have experienced overdoses and being able to get into those necessary supports,” said Natasha Kennedy, the executive director of Regina Treaty/Status Indian Services.

From Jan. 1 to July 31 of this year, preliminary data from the Saskatchewan coroners service indicates 229 people are both confirmed or suspected to have lost their lives to drug toxicity. That compares to to 460 deaths in 2023 and 368 in 2022.

And while programs like the Regina Overdose Team are playing what many call a vital role in the community, it is still only a pilot project and will only be funded until the end of March, 2025.

“We would like to see it go permanent,” Looker said.  “We will see what happens. We’re helping lots of people, so as long as we’re helping people, we’re happy.”