Leaders barricade Labrador Innu community in bid to stop flow of drugs

The Innu Nation Main Office is seen in Sheshatshiu, N.L., on May 10, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sarah Smellie

SHESHATSHIU, N.L. —

Leaders in the Innu community of Sheshatshiu in Labrador have authorized barricades at the town’s entrance and evicted some residents in an effort to curb the flow of drugs.

Eugene Hart, chief of the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation, said in an interview Wednesday that community safety officers began checking vehicles entering the community this week.

He also said three people “who are not from the community” have been asked to leave due to concerns over drugs.

The order came into effect after two community meetings attended by about 150 people were held to discuss methods to keep out illegal substances.

Hart said drug trafficking has been rising, and residents are seeking rapid actions to decrease the flow of illegal substances.

“We have a big drug issue in the community that’s taking over the community,” he said. “We’re trying to work on that and to downsize that.”

He added that about 28 people have died due to substance or alcohol abuse over the past three years, in a community with a population of about 2,000.

Sheshatshiu has dealt with crises of addiction, suicide and violent death before. The town had to find ways to reduce widespread gas-sniffing by young residents in the early 2010s and declared a local state of emergency after a series of suicide attempts in the fall of 2019.

“We’re just trying to make the community a healthier place to be and not be anxious about what’s going on at their front steps,” he said.

The community was planning to hold further meetings on Wednesday where discussions were expected to be held on whether to keep the security staff at the town’s entrance, Hart said.

The chief said the community is looking for more support from the RCMP in the effort to reduce drug trafficking, and that community leaders met with senior Labrador officers on Tuesday to discuss their concerns.

Cpl. Jolene Garland, a spokeswoman for the RCMP in Newfoundland and Labrador, said in an email Wednesday that during the meeting officers emphasized “the importance of community collaboration to address local crimes,” and provided information about the most effective way to report crimes.

“Although not always publicly known, drug enforcement within the community is ongoing and the RCMP is investigating all information received,” she wrote.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 26, 2025.

-- By Michael Tutton in Halifax