Council Resolution on Public Safety
Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) Council declared a State of Emergency last year in response to the toxic drug crisis and its disproportionate impact on our People, families and Communities.
The Squamish Nation continues to feel the impact of this crisis with recent deaths in our Community. These losses are an awful reminder of the severity of this crisis, and the need to come together to protect each other and to heal.
The Council Resolution on Public Safety galvanized our Nation’s departments to enact immediate changes to better serve and support the Squamish People. This means increased hours of operations for the Community Safety Team (CST), increased monitoring and surveillance on reserve lands, and expanded access and development of Yúustway’s (Health & Wellness’) Crisis Response Team.
For full details on our Community’s resources available to anyone affected by the toxic drug crisis, please click here.
For support outside of regular office hours, our main point of contact for anyone in Community is our Safety Phone Line: 604-982-9938. This phone line is available 24-7.
The ongoing toxic drug crisis disproportionately impacts Indigenous people, including many of our Sḵwx̱wú7mesh People, and is causing deep and lasting harm to Squamish families, communities and loved ones.
The State of Emergency is part of a council resolution to implement emergency public safety measures. Funding from the Squamish Nation Emergency Fund is supporting this work, while long-term planning begins to take shape. These actions are taking place to strengthen community safety, protect our people, and build pathways toward long-term healing grounded in Squamish teachings and values.