Manitoba news: The Manitoba government is developing a Manitoba first responders drug strategy to help first responders cope with a surge in drug use and overdoses, and Winnipeg sits at the centre of the plan, as city paramedics respond to record numbers of opioid calls.
By Maplestime News Desk | Winnipeg, Manitoba | November 5, 2026
Sources: CBC News | Last updated: November 5, 2026
Key Takeaways
- Manitoba has tasked David Pankratz, the minister responsible for first responder initiatives, with developing a strategy to help paramedics, police and firefighters respond to the impact of toxic drugs, beginning next spring.
- The strategy will focus on hot spots for open drug use, including the downtown and north Main Street areas of Winnipeg, along with Brandon and Thompson.
- A CBC News analysis shows the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service responded to 810 opioid patients last April, more than triple the 240 patients helped in April 2025.
- The service was sent to 66 opioid-related calls on one day in April, the highest single-day number in 15 years of records.
- The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union, which represents 368 paramedics working for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service, says hiring reinforcements is the best way to help overworked members.
Province Promises Help By Next Spring
First responders struggling to cope with a surge in drug use and overdoses will be getting new supports from the Manitoba government. The province’s new minister responsible for first responder initiatives has been tasked with developing a strategy to help these front-line workers beginning next spring, his mandate letter states.
In his marching orders from Premier Wab Kinew, Pankratz has been instructed to help paramedics, police and firefighters “respond to the impact of toxic drugs.” The mandate letter says he will focus on “hot spots” for open drug use, including the downtown and north Main Street areas of Winnipeg, along with Brandon and Thompson.
“We know that in spring, often things can amplify a little bit in the province” in terms of substance abuse calls, Pankratz said in an interview last month. “We want to make sure that we’re prepared for that.”
Pankratz, who became a cabinet minister in September, said he will aim to bring in new or expanded mental health supports. He wants to improve connections between first responders, community organizations and the health-care system.
Winnipeg Call Volumes Hit Record Levels
First responders have described the spike in opioid overdoses as a crisis increasingly consuming their time. A CBC News analysis of 15 years of data from the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service showed the first several months of 2026 saw more substance abuse calls than any other year over that period. For the first time, opioids surpassed alcohol as the substance behind the largest number of fire-paramedic emergency responses.
The service responded to 810 opioid patients last April, more than triple the 240 patients helped in April 2025. The service was sent to 66 opioid-related calls on one day in April, the highest single-day number in 15 years of records.
In June, the province announced a two-person paramedic team would work around the clock to respond to overdose calls in Winnipeg’s downtown. The $802,000 put into the pilot program was expected to last three months, but the initiative was phased in, and there is some money remaining, a government spokesperson said.
Paramedics Say Hiring Is The Priority
The union representing Winnipeg’s paramedics said the best way to help their overworked members is hiring reinforcements. The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union represents 368 paramedics working for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. More than 100 positions were reported vacant at the start of the year, a freedom of information request obtained by the union states.
“When I talk to them, many have said, ‘I signed up to help people, but I didn’t sign up to resuscitate someone on every call,'” MGEU president Kyle Ross said. “And that takes a toll on their body. That takes a toll on their mental health,” he said, especially now that paramedics increasingly don’t have time to recover between traumatic calls.
“It’s got to impact you as a human being because if you’re not there, this person could die,” Ross said.
The MGEU doesn’t represent the firefighter-paramedics working for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. The unions representing Winnipeg firefighters and police officers didn’t respond to a request for comment.
What The Strategy Could Include
Pankratz also vowed to “work on ways to streamline the work” first responders currently do. He didn’t say what that might look like, but said consultation would happen first. Pankratz would start by speaking with front-line workers before adding the addictions, justice and health ministers into his discussions, he said.
“What I know from my own experience as a firefighter and paramedic is that if you’re doing that work every day, and you feel like you’re being supported by your administration, by government, you’re going to be able to come in and be fresh,” Pankratz said. “You’re going to be able to come in with new ideas and support people in a good way.”
Downtown Pilot Team And Firefighter Support
Pankratz said the NDP government has already supported some first responder requests, including more police officers and funding firefighter positions in Winnipeg’s Waverley West neighbourhood.
He added the province will introduce legislation that makes it easier for firefighters diagnosed with an occupational illness to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Under current laws, firefighter presumptions can be challenged, but the government announced it will remove that option. Pankratz also wants to expand the list of illnesses that entitle firefighters to work-related compensation.
Maplestime will provide updates as announcements are made.
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