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Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, holds a troubling national distinction. The city recorded the highest concentrations of both methamphetamine and cocaine in its wastewater of any Canadian city between January 2024 and March 2026, according to new data from Statistics Canada.
Methamphetamine levels in Prince Albert’s wastewater peaked at just over 2,000 milligrams per day per 1,000 people in March. That figure makes Prince Albert one of only two Canadian cities to exceed the 1,000-milligram threshold. Moncton, New Brunswick, was the other, recorded in January. Meanwhile, Saskatoon ranked third nationally, with 957 milligrams per day per 1,000 people in March.
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Notably, this is not the first time Prince Albert has led the country in methamphetamine levels. The city also topped the rankings in the 2024 wastewater survey. However, Statistics Canada noted that the 2024 survey used a different methodology, so direct comparisons may not be reliable.
Fentanyl and Stimulants Both Driving Harm
The data also showed a significant rise in norfentanyl — a marker for fentanyl use — in Prince Albert’s wastewater between January and March. Metro Vancouver recorded norfentanyl levels more than four times higher than all other reporting cities combined. Even so, Prince Albert saw the largest percentage increase during that period.
Statistics Canada highlighted the broader national picture in its update. “While fentanyl remains central to Canada’s overdose crisis, being involved in more than half — 56% — of opioid-related deaths in 2025, stimulant use is also a significant source of substance-related harms nationally,” the agency stated.
Experts See Value Beyond the Numbers
Barbara Fornssler, a public health expert at the University of Saskatchewan, said wastewater data offers something individual reporting cannot. It captures population-level drug use patterns. That information can guide both police and community organizations.
“I think this helps combat stigma a little bit,” Fornssler told Global News. “We’re not just envisioning a certain segment of the population that’s using substances, but we can get a sense of the overall population level.”
Prince Albert Police Chief Patrick Nogier said the data confirms where his department needs to focus its resources. “We need to be more efficient about determining how drugs are moving, where they’re moving within our communities, which ones are associated to which, so that we can have a better indication of who’s responsible for them,” he said at a press conference Thursday.
Housing Crisis and Reduced Services Cited as Factors
Fornssler said several factors likely contribute to Saskatchewan’s elevated drug levels. Supply, living conditions, and the province’s housing crisis all play a role. “It’s possible it’s the supply. It’s possible it’s the conditions that people are living in. It could also be related — and I think importantly in Saskatchewan — to our housing crisis and the lack of shelter availability,” she said.
She also pointed to the closure of Prairie Harm, Saskatoon’s addiction treatment centre, which shut down in 2025. Fornssler said the closure probably does not directly increase drug use. However, it does limit access to support for people who need it.
The broader health system is already feeling the pressure. “We are seeing elevated calls for ambulatory response. We’re seeing increases in emergency department admissions. We are seeing greater demand on other systems that respond to drug-related harm,” Fornssler said.
Calls to Expand and Improve Wastewater Monitoring
Currently, only eight Canadian communities participate in the wastewater drug surveillance program. Fornssler said she would like to see that number grow. She also pointed to more advanced methods used in Europe as a model worth exploring.
In particular, European researchers have developed ways to distinguish how people consume substances based on the type and volume of metabolites present in wastewater. “When you inject versus smoke versus snort, our bodies are gonna process that a little bit differently and it may result in greater or lower metabolite presence in the wastewater,” she explained. Understanding consumption methods, she added, gives support services more targeted and useful information.
The City of Prince Albert also expressed interest in more frequent data collection. Officials said daily counts could help identify what events or conditions cause fluctuations in drug levels across the community.
Fornssler further noted that some countries are linking wastewater data with cellphone data to track how drug levels shift when large crowds gather for events like music festivals. That approach has not yet reached Canada. However, she said the right investment and infrastructure could eventually help communities respond more effectively to local drug challenges.
