The Squamish Chief editorial team has selected 10 top themes, events and issues for the year in our coverage. This story is one in a series of those.
B.C.’s ongoing overdose epidemic still continued to impact Squamish in 2019.
A 45-year-old Squamish man accused of possession of fentanyl, among other drugs, for the purpose of trafficking received a 4.5-year prison sentence in May.
Ghyslain Noel received 3.5 years for drug charges and one year for being in the possession of money made at least partially from the proceeds of crime.
After taking into account time already served, Noel’s sentence was reduced to over three years.
Aside from Noel’s conviction, there were other ways in which the opioid epidemic was making itself known in town.
In March, a local mother found a baggy containing a pink crystal substance near Squamish Elementary, near the Buckley Avenue crosswalk.
RCMP would later test the package and found that at least part of it contained fentanyl.
Months later, at the playground of Squamish Elementary, another Squamish mom would find bags of meth.
From the start of this year until Oct. 31, a report released by the coroners said there were 13 fentanyl-related deaths in the North Shore/Coast Garibaldi service area, which contains Squamish.
There were 21 overdose deaths overall in the same area during the same time period.
