Canada’s fentanyl czar says eliminating drug’s ‘scourge’ is his primary goal

LANSDOWNE, ONT. — Canada’s new fentanyl czar Kevin Brosseau says he will bring an “intensity” to efforts to eliminate the scourge of fentanyl on both sides of the border.

Touring a border point near Lansdowne, Ont. on his first day on the job, the former senior Mountie says his mandate is to bring people together, to integrate the work and to produce results.

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Brosseau spent more than 20 years with the RCMP and more recently was deputy national security and intelligence adviser to the prime minister.

He says that if he could send a message to U.S. President Donald Trump, it would be that his appointment demonstrates how seriously Canada takes the fentanyl crisis.

Brosseau spoke alongside Public Safety Minister David McGuinty, who said cool heads and a disciplined approach should prevail as Canada faces the threat of hefty U.S. tariffs on all goods exported to the United States.

The minister says tariffs would be a lose-lose scenario for both countries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press