A small city in Saskatchewan has a major drug problem. According to Statistics Canada, between January 2024 and March 2026 the City of Prince Albert had more traces of meth and cocaine in its wastewater per capita than any Canadian city, followed by Saskatoon and Moncton, N.B. “Measured methamphetamine levels were among the highest in cities in the Prairie provinces,” Statistics Canada said in an update last week. “Prince Albert had the highest levels and the greatest fluctuations in both methamphetamine and cocaine (measured by its metabolite benzoylecgonine) over the collection period.” Wastewater in Prince Albert had methamphetamine levels ranging between just over 1,000 milligrams and just over 2,000 milligrams per day per 1,000 people over the course of the study, according to the Canadian Wastewater Survey. “Saskatoon and Moncton had the next highest methamphetamine levels of all cities monitored,” Statistics Canada said. “The relatively elevated levels in Moncton are consistent with data indicating that methamphetamine was involved in nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of stimulant toxicity deaths in New Brunswick in 2024, the highest proportion among the Atlantic provinces.” This is not the first time Prince Albert has earned the dubious distinction of being named the meth capital of Canada, although researchers caution against comparing data between cities, or with records from previous years because different analytical methods have been applied. What can be said from the data is that stimulant drugs continue to pose a significant public health concern in the prairies, even if the increases in use seem to have stabilized somewhat in cities like Saskatoon. Between 2018 and 2024, the rate of apparent stimulant toxicity deaths more than doubled in Canada, according to the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. These deaths occur more often among males than females and are most prevalent between the ages of 30 and 39, the centre says. The fine print on wastewater drug testing According to Statistics Canada, the wastewater study samples were collected from the influent of wastewater treatment plants for seven consecutive days during the second week of every odd month (January, March, May, July, September and November). The daily samples were then analysed at a toxicology lab in Quebec. Lab results and population estimates for each geographic area were combined to estimate the daily average of drug loads per capita for each collection month in each municipality. Estimates involve some uncertainty, and Statistics Canada warns comparisons between cities should be interpreted with caution. Uncertainty can be introduced from a number of sources, including during the wastewater collection process, the measurement and analysis of biomarkers, the stability of biomarkers in wastewaters and in calculating the per-capita consumption from excretion profiles and population estimates. In Prince Albert, for example, the census recorded a population under 40,000, but city officials estimate it services upwards of nearly 200,000 people as the regional hub for education, health care and retail.
