One woman is facing impaired driving charges following a traffic stop in Fort Frances.
Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) say officers, with assistance of Treaty Three Police Service, responded to a report of a suspected impaired driver on May 9. They were able to locate the vehicle shortly afterward, and officers conducted a traffic stop.
Following an investigation, police determined the driver was impaired. Officers also found the individual was legally not allowed to drive a motor vehicle, resulting in additional charges.
The 43-year-old was released from custody and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
The provincial government is taking direct aim at the illegal drug trade.
It has put forward two regulatory changes.
One addresses the places where illegal drugs are being produced.
“This will make it illegal for landlords, commercial landlords, to knowingly allow illicit drug-related activities on their property,” says Kerzner.
The other will make it illegal to own, use or sell devices used in making illegal drugs, such as pill presses.
The ownership, production or trafficking of certain chemicals that are used in the making of illegal drugs will also be restricted.
“We are ensuring our police services have the tools they need to crack down and crack down hard on illegal drug production and to shut these operations down once and for all,” says Kerzner.
He adds that other measures to protect the public are also forthcoming in new legislation to be introduced in the coming weeks.
The Rainy River District is seeing a rise in drug overdoses.
Provincial police say the increase has been more recent.
OPP reported only one case in the first two months of the year.
It has prompted an advisory from police that notes that risks of street drug use.
Police say the best course of action is to seek treatment, noting that Mobile Crisis Response Team members they work with can connect people to appropriate services.
Last year, police reported 30 overdose incidents in the western portion of the district between Fort Frances and Rainy River that led to the deaths of seven people.
Three people are facing several drug-related charges following a bust in Fort Frances.
Provincial Police say a search warrant executed at an undisclosed location in Fort Frances led them to seize quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Unspecified amounts of Canadian cash and other items related to drug trafficking were also seized by police.
A 37-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman, both from Fort Frances, and a 29-year-old woman from Couchiching First Nation were arrested and charged with drug trafficking.
The man was also charged with possessing a firearm while prohibited and resisting arrest.
All three individuals are scheduled to make court appearances at a later date.
Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Marcus Powlowski is looking for changes to a program that grants special access to physicians, medications that have not been fully approved by Health Canada.
The program allows doctors access to the drugs only when conventional therapies have failed, are unsuitable or are unavailable.
Powlowski, an emergency physician, wants to reduce the time it takes to receive approval.
He cites an incident involving a doctor at Sick Kids Hospital as a reason for the change.
“A pediatric ICU doctor recently told me about spending six hours trying to resuscitate a child, the first four hours of which were spent trying to access a drug which is available only through this program, even though that drug is considered first-line therapy in the United States,” Powlowski told the House of Commons.
Powlowski says approval of his Private Member’s Bill would reduce the red tape that is associated with the program.
“And also leave the decision in life-threatening situations as to whether to use a drug not yet approved by Health Canada to the clinicians, not to bureaucrats in Ottawa.”
Powlowski introduced the bill last week, with a second reading expected when MPPs return from their March break.
Eight people are facing drug-related charges following separate drug busts in Fort Frances.
Provincial Police says a search conducted in the area of Second Street East led police to find more than 622 grams of cocaine.
Over $21,500 in cash and other items were also discovered.
Items seized by Ontario Provincial Police during a drug investigation on Second Street East in Fort Frances, February 26, 2026. Phot supplied by Ontario Provincial Police, March 10, 2026
A 31-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman, both from Fort Frances, were taken into custody and charged with drug trafficking and possession of property or proceeds of crime.
Both were later released and will appear back in court at the end of March.
In the second investigation, OPP, along with Treaty Three Police Service, executed search warrants at the Faith Housing Complex and at homes in the Third Street East areas to find about 70 grams of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine and $1,000 in cash.
Items seized by Ontario Provincial Police during a drug investigation in Fort Frances on March 3, 2026. Photo supplied by Ontario Provincial Police, March 10, 2026
Two Fort Frances women, aged 23 and 50, were charged with three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
A 42-year-old, also from Fort Frances, faced two counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking.
A 27-year-old woman was charged with failing to comply with a previous release order.
All four individuals have since been released and will make court appearances in April.
Two 17-year-olds from the Toronto area were also arrested.
One from Toronto faced three counts of possession for the purpose of trafficking, while the other from North York was arrested on two similar charges and one for possession of property or proceeds of crime.
Both appeared before a Fort Frances courtroom this week.
A St. Stephen man faces charges after police allegedly found drugs in his vehicle.
The RCMP say they stopped a suspicious vehicle on Route 3, north of St. Stephen, at about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, according to a news release.
They then searched the vehicle and found what they believe is fentanyl and methamphetamine, along with two digital scales, packaging materials and cellphones.
The 43-year-old driver, from St. Stephen, was arrested. The passenger, a 36-year-old woman, was also arrested but later released.
The driver appeared in court later that day and was charged with drug trafficking. He remains in custody.
An investigation in Bearskin Lake has led to the discovery of nearly $30,000 in illegal drugs.
A 35-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman were arrested on drug possession charges.
Nishnawbe Aski Police Service says quantities of crack cocaine and cocaine were found after officers executed a search warrant at a home in the remote community.
Police also seized $15,000 in cash and items related to drug trafficking.
The accused, who were later released, are scheduled to appear in court at a later date.
