Rowan Cuthbert, 22, died after years of drug abuse — and his family says he didn't get the help needed

It's been 10 nightmarish days for a family in South Porcupine, Ontario. 

On Oct. 9, Anthony Cuthbert went into his son's room to make sure he was up for work. Instead he found Rowan, 22, dead in a chair. 

"He looked like he was still asleep," Cuthbert said in a text message. 

"October 9 was his mother's birthday. The evening before, he went into town to buy her birthday gift, and a card. That same evening he bought the drugs that [I believe] killed him."

Cuthbert's obituary detailed a long list of interests and hobbies, including "hockey, skiing and enjoying the outdoors."

"Rowan was in Air Cadets, experiencing gliding, camping and participated in the biathlon, and, he was part of the drama team representing O'Gorman High School at the Sears Provincial Drama Festival. It was here Rowan took home the award of merit for his acting."

But Dale Miner, Rowan's grandfather, said at around 15 years old, it was like "flicking a light switch."

"He wasn't involved in drugs or anything before," he said. "I don't know what triggered it. 

"[He] progressively started smoking marijuana and, you know, his family ... they're trying to talk to him about it. But it just progressed from there and to where it was: he was taking some heavy-duty drugs."

"It's just like a demon," he said. "It's hard: you have to go through it to to know what it's about."

Tap on the player to hear Dale Miner's interview with CBC journalist Jessica Pope.

'A blue pill here, a tan powder there'

Anthony Cuthbert said Rowan had been using a host of "out-of-body" drugs for a number of years, and was "snorting Xanax all the time."

Cuthbert described a slow-motion catastrophe: Rowan began to alienate friends who weren't into the drug scene. He and his wife banned drug use in the house and Rowan left for awhile. When he came back, Cuthbert said they found drugs under Rowan's bed and tossed them out. The family went to a doctor for help and brought home a Naloxone kit. 

"We found a blue pill here, a tan powder there," Cuthbert said. "He wasn't going to stop."

Then, Cuthbert said Rowan decided he was ready to try after all. He said they went to the Jubilee Centre for addiction help, but were told it would be a six-week wait for a bed.

A couple of weeks later, the morning he found Rowan dead, Cuthbert said he saw a white powder on Rowan's desk, and said police told him they found another, different powder.

Police would not confirm any of the investigation details with CBC. 

Timmins mayor, George Pirie, said in a letter to Dale Miner, "Your grandson is one of two fatalities here in Timmins on Friday [Oct. 9] and one of four since Sunday October 4th. I believe that we now have suffered 29 deaths in Timmins [at this point] this year."

The letter, provided to CBC News by Miner, continued, "At [a] council meeting I said we must help the people who need help and we must we must deal with the criminals.

"To that end we are working with a group of local doctors and the NELHIN to insure that the funding is obtained to begin to get the funding to stem this scourge.

"Additionally a group of legal professionals have committed to preparing a paper for the Solicitor General to fill the holes in our criminal justice system."

Rowan's family wants more rehabilitation beds for people struggling with addictions so that no one is ever on a waiting list for help. 

Cuthbert said again and again, "he was loved."