Nova Scotia

Evolve festival drug complaint being investigated by RCMP

Antigonish RCMP are looking into a complaint about a "noxious substance" being administered to someone at the recent Evolve Festival.

Drugs, alcohol sent 20 to Antigonish hospital during four-day festival

RCMP are investigating a complaint about a concert goer being unknowingly given a 'noxious substance' during the recent Evolve Music and Awareness Festival. (Chris Smith/Evolve)

Antigonish RCMP are looking into a complaint that someone slipped an unknowing concert goer a "noxious substance" at the Evolve Music and Awareness Festival earlier this month.

Const. Mark Skinner, provincial spokesman for the RCMP, said the complaint was received on July 14. He could not give any details about the allegation such as the age or sex of the complainant or what the substance was.

The compaint is not related to the death of a 21-year-old man from Summerside, P.E.I. Dylan Jonathan Avery Champion died in a Halifax hospital after attending the festival. Tests are being done to determine what killed the P.E.I. man.

A doctor at St. Martha's Regional Hospital said  20 patients between the ages of 17 and 32 came to the emergency room with problems symptomatic of multiple drugs — including cocaine, ecstasy and alcohol — during the four-day music event.

RCMP made a number of drug and alcohol arrests as well: seven people were charged with trafficking, 12 people charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, 10 people were charged with possession and four people were charged with impaired driving. ​