Manitoba·Feature

Timeline: How Winnipeg tried but couldn't hold back a meth crisis

It was 13 years ago, as crystal methamphetamine was turning into an epidemic in parts of Canada, that Manitoba authorities recognized the need for preventative measures before the drug swept through the province.

Seizures of meth by police have soared since the drug became a major concern in 2016

Meth use is putting strains on Winnipeg's emergency responders and causing problems for police, who are dealing with more gun seizures related to the drug. (CBC)

It was 13 years ago, as crystal methamphetamine was turning into an epidemic in parts of Canada, that Manitoba authorities recognized the need for preventative measures before the drug swept through the province.

They tried to stop it. A task force was set up to counter some of the issues — such as access to some common ingredients — that allowed the problem flourish elsewhere.

But as in many cities across the country, use of the drug has now been deemed a crisis in Winnipeg, with an increase in guns and a tide of crime.