Question Period Note: God's Lake Stabbing Incident

• Gods Lake First Nation suffered a traumatic incident September 24, when four community members were stabbed. Individuals needing medical evacuation were cared for at the nursing station and transported to access advanced medical care at a hospital.
• Injured community members are now in stable condition and the RCMP have the suspect in custody.
• Indigenous Services Canada has ensured that Mental Health Therapists are available in Gods Lake to support community recovery through the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Crisis Response Team.

Gods Lake First Nation is a fly in and winter road accessible community of 1500 approximately 250 kilometers south east of Thompson. The community is served by a ISC operated nursing station staffed with four to five nurses. Physicians services are provided Monday to Friday. Public health nursing services are provided by ISC.

The Health Director for Gods Lake First Nation has reported increased violence and drug use in community, specifically there is concern of increased IV drug use in community in the past few weeks. Community leadership has contacted stakeholders to obtain additional harm reduction supplies for the community including injectable and nasal Narcan. Leadership will be speaking on the radio about harm reduction, specifically ways to minimize risk related to drug use. There was to be training this week by the Harm reduction network but that was rescheduled. ISC will continue to have discussions with the community on ways to support harm reduction.

Gods Lake Narrows had recently been identified as a community that will be engaged in a pilot project offered by Four Arrows Health Authority through Substance Use and Addictions Program funding. This project would provide direct services to people who use drugs and alcohol in remote Indigenous communities, who currently do not have routine access to Opioid Agonist Therapy or other specialist addiction medicine services, including withdrawal management and pharmacotherapy. The project would additionally provide education to both health staff and community members, including on aspects of harm reduction, and direct mentorship for local care providers, serving to build capacity for in-community harm reduction efforts and identification and treatment of substance use disorders.

Occupational and Critical Incident Stress Management services was in touch with the nurses on both September 25 and 26, 2022.

If pressed on Support for God’s Lake First Nation
• Indigenous Services Canada is working with leadership in Gods Lake and partners to identify and coordinate community supports.

• The Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Crisis Response Team has provided access to traditional healers to assist the community.

• The community member that was evacuated with multiple injuries came out of surgery on September 26, and is in stable condition.

• Recognizing the impact that potentially traumatic incidents can have on emergency service workers, the Occupational and Critical Incident Stress Management services has reached out to the nurses to offer assistance.
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