THUNDER BAY — Thunder Bay once again has the highest rate of opioid overdose deaths in Ontario.
According to new data from Ontario’s Chief Coroner, 80 people in the Thunder Bay area died from opioid overdoses in 2024. That’s more than the 77 deaths reported in 2023. The death rate in the city is now 69.14 per 100,000 people — nearly five times higher than the provincial average.
Ontario’s average rate dropped to 17.5 deaths per 100,000 people, but Thunder Bay’s rate increased.
Police and other officials say they’re working hard to remove drugs from the streets. They’re also asking the public to report drug activity when they see it.
“We’re always taking drugs off the streets,” one official said. “But we also need to help people using these drugs get support and maybe find a way out of that lifestyle.”
The Thunder Bay District Health Unit, which covers a large area around the city, also had the highest overdose rate among all health regions in Ontario. Another nearby region, the Northwestern Health Unit, had the fifth-highest rate in the province.
Both areas saw their overdose rates increase in 2024, even though the overall rate for Ontario went down.
Officials say it’s not likely that opioid overdoses will ever completely stop. But they believe the problem can be reduced if the community works together.
“It takes everyone — police, community groups, schools — working as a team,” said one official. “We may not be able to stop it, but we can try to make it less harmful for everyone.”
