Reinstate mandatory minimums
Petitioners ask Ottawa to reinstate narcotics mandatory minimums, end federal safer-supply support, and fund rehabilitation beds. The government responds that federal safer-supply funding ended in March 2025; Ottawa funds treatment programs and provinces deliver care.
Why we would sign this petition
- It increases penalties for serious drug offences, which supporters say would deter traffickers and respond to community safety concerns.
- Ending federal safer-supply support would address petitioners' claim that such programs lower costs and expand street supply.
- Funding rehabilitation beds expands treatment capacity and creates more places for people to enter structured recovery programs.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Mandatory minimums limit judicial discretion and can produce disproportionately harsh sentences without guaranteed crime-reduction benefits.
- Removing safer-supply support may eliminate a harm-reduction option that some say reduces overdoses, possibly increasing short-term risk.
- Federal funding for beds may not expand access if provinces, which deliver health services, do not implement or operate additional treatment capacity.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA WHEREAS: Residents of Fairhaven, Meadowgreen, Parkridge, and Confederation in Saskatoon, and all of Saskatoon, have faced significant challenges as crime, chaos, and disorder take over the neighborhoods. Drug use and homelessness have overrun these neighborhoods, making public areas, schools, and even private backyards unsafe. Safe supply and harm reduction programs paid for by the federal government have prolonged and encouraged drug use instead of offering treatment for addiction. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, the undersigned residents of Saskatoon West, CALL UPON THE Government of Canada to 1. Bring back the mandatory minimum sentences for the trafficking, importing, and production of illegal narcotics that were removed in Bill C-5, making it less risky for criminals, dealers, and narcotic producers to operate. 2. End the dangerous safe supply experiment that has lowered the costs and increased the supply of narcotics on the street. 3. Invest in real treatment for drug users, such as rehabilitation beds that encourage people to get off drugs.
Government response
Response by the Minister of Health Signed by Maggie Chi Our government understands that the toxic drug and overdose crisis is one of the most serious public health threats in Canada’s recent history and is being driven by the increasingly toxic and unpredictable illegal drug supply. Fentanyl remains widespread but the rise or emergence of other substances, including stronger synthetic opioids, stimulants, and sedatives, has further compounded efforts to address the crisis. The cost of substance use-related harms extends beyond the loss of lives, affecting health, well-being, public safety and Canada’s prosperity. The federal government does not approve, authorize, or deliver “safer supply” programs. The delivery of healthcare services falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction. Provinces and territories may choose to operate “safer supply” programs within their jurisdiction, and may regulate health care practitioners to deliver the programs under their scope of medical practice, as part of the practice of medicine. Health Canada funded some provincial and territorial “safer supply” pilot projects under the Substance Use and Addictions Program (SUAP). However, all federal funding under SUAP for these pilot projects ended on March 31, 2025, and there are no plans to fund new prescribed alternative projects. Any pilot projects funded were required to demonstrate that they met all legislative and regulatory requirements in their respective jurisdictions, and were also required to have mitigation strategies in place to prevent drugs from being diverted away from the programs. Any diversion from such programs was illegal and fell under the definition of drug trafficking in Canada. Health Canada supported and continues to support law enforcement actions to address drug trafficking and support community safety, wherever it takes place. While provinces and territories are responsible for the funding and delivery of treatment services, facilities and beds, the federal government supports their efforts through funding provided under the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy. The Strategy is centered on promoting public health and protecting public safety, and supports law enforcement efforts to address drug trafficking, in addition to timely access to prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery services and supports. Federal funding to support the Strategy is delivered through a number of programs. The SUAP provides funding to provinces, territories, and other levels of government, as well as community-led, Indigenous, and not-for-profit organizations, and it supports a wide range of innovative and evidence-informed prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery projects. The federal government also funds the Emergency Treatment Fund (ETF), which helps provide a rapid response to emergent, critical needs to municipalities and Indigenous communities on the overdose crisis. As of October 2025, Health Canada has provided funding to more than 90 projects supporting Indigenous communities and municipalities across Canada, with more projects under consideration. ETF funding supports a range of activities, including treatment related supports, harm reduction and overdose prevention support, cultural and community programming, outreach activities, and certain capital costs. The list of active ETF projects is available on Health Canada’s website and is updated on a regular basis as further project announcements are made. The ETF launched a national Call for Proposals on October 6, 2025, for new projects starting in fiscal year 2026-2027. Our government’s actions are building on the work done by the previous government, including the Working Together bilateral agreements. These agreements provide the provinces and territories with $25 billion over ten years to address shared health priorities, including improving access to quality mental health, and substance use services. Additional information on actions undertaken to date on the overdose crisis can be found at the following website. Response by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency Signed by The Parliamentary Secretary Patricia Lattanzio Everyone deserves to live in a society where they are safe. The Government knows that repeat and violent offending is top-of-mind for many people in Canada, as well as concerns that the bail system is not working as it should. This is why the Government introduced Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, which is the result of extensive collaboration between the federal government, the provinces and territories, as well as law enforcement partners. The Bill would strengthen community safety and bolster confidence in the administration of justice by making bail harder to get in cases of repeat and violent offending and imposing a stronger sentencing framework. In terms of a stricter bail system, the Bill would create new reverse onuses in cases of serious offences, meaning the starting point is detention and the accused would have to prove why they should be released on bail. Additionally, when considering whether to grant bail, the amendments would direct police not to release an accused when it is against the public interest or when detention is needed to protect victims, or witnesses. The Bill would also toughen sentencing laws for repeat and violent crime, including car theft and extortion, meaning those found guilty can spend more time in prison. New aggravating factors would apply to crimes against first responders, retail theft, and theft or mischief that harms essential infrastructure. The Bill would also end conditional sentence orders (house arrest) for certain sexual assault and child sexual offences and restore driving prohibitions for criminal negligence causing bodily harm and death and manslaughter.