Emergency calls for overdose incidents at Edmonton public transit locations more than doubled in 2025 compared to the previous year, reaching 368 calls, according to data from Alberta Health Services (AHS). This figure is more than 2.5 times the 146 calls recorded in Calgary during the same period.
Data from 2018 to 2025 shows sharp increase
The data, obtained through an access to information request, covers all overdose incidents for all substances from 2018 to 2025. In 2024, Edmonton had 154 such calls, a significant drop from annual totals exceeding 200 between 2021 and 2023. Earlier years saw far fewer incidents: just 37 calls in 2020 and fewer than 10 in both 2018 and 2019.
In Calgary, the number of calls grew steadily from 78 in 2018 to a peak of 220 in 2021. It fell below 200 in 2022, rose to 315 in 2023, then dropped sharply to 94 in 2024 before rising again to 146 in 2025.
Combined city totals and seasonal patterns
Across both cities, the annual total grew from fewer than 100 in 2018 and 2019 (with Edmonton below 10) to a peak of 550 in 2023. After a sudden dip to 248 in 2024, the volume more than doubled to 514 in 2025. The most common months for such calls over all years were March, December, and February, each accounting for more than 10% of the total volume. Postmedia's analysis found that Dec. 22 and Christmas Day were the two most common dates for calls across both cities.
Churchill station sees highest call volume
In Edmonton, Churchill station recorded the highest number of calls since 2018, with 211 total, including 57 in 2022—the most of any station in the city over the past eight years. The station again led in 2025 with 48 calls. Central and Coliseum stations were the only others with more than 100 calls since 2018, with 192 and 167 respectively. Belvedere and Kingsway stations were the only two others to receive more than 20 calls in 2025.
Official responses
Emergency health services told Postmedia in a statement that staff are trained and equipped to respond to medical emergencies in all locations. “While every emergency scene is unique, EHS-Alberta’s approach to receiving, triaging and dispatching these calls has remained consistent over the years.”
The press secretary for Mental Health and Addiction Minister Rick Wilson stated via email that opioid-related deaths in the province have significantly decreased since peaking in 2023, but noted that Edmonton has been an outlier. “While most communities have returned to pre-pandemic levels, Edmonton continues to see exceptionally high rates of opioid-related deaths, particularly involving carfentanil, which is about 100 times more potent than fentanyl.”
