What's a 'fentanyl czar'? The Canadian government is still figuring that out
McGuinty says czar would play a co-ordination role with aim to eliminate illegal supply
When Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke to U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon, he had a new proposition: creating a "fentanyl czar."
The role — part of an updated pitch aimed at curbing the illegal flow of the deadly drug — seemed to appease Trump, with the U.S. agreeing to postpone what was shaping up to be a full-blown trade war for at least a month.
Who will take on the role and what the job will actually look like is still being determined, said Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.
But the minister offered clear marching orders for whoever answers the call: rid Canada of illegal fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid sometimes prescribed for pain, but it is also made illegally. According to Health Canada documents, organized crime groups have shifted their efforts away from importing fentanyl and are now producing it primarily on Canadian soil.
The federal government estimates that more than 49,000 Canadians died due to opioid drug overdoses between 2016 and June 2024. Of all accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths during the first half of 2024, 79 per cent involved fentanyl.
McGuinty said whoever takes the job will be a co-ordinating player between police, the attorney general and Health Canada's chemical labs.
"That fentanyl czar role will be involved in having to pull all of this together so we can get over any hurdles and execute on a plan that involves minimizing if not eliminating fentanyl from Canadian soil," he said after touring a fentanyl detection lab near Emerson, Man.
Canada pitched fentanyl czar: source
According to a senior government source, the post was put on the table by the Canadians.
The source, who was not authorized to speak on the record, said the government is looking for a serving or former police officer for the role — and to fill it as soon as possible.
The source was clear the government is still working out the terms of what it will look like. The aim, they said, is to have better information-sharing with the U.S.
In a statement on social media, Trudeau said he assured Trump that Canada was moving ahead with its previously announced $1.3-billion border security plan that includes reinforcing the nearly 9,000-kilometre border with new helicopters, technology and personnel.
Canada had also previously announced plans to launch a joint strike force between the two countries to "combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering."
There are 10,000 front-line personnel who "are and will be" working on protecting the border, he said, matching the number of troops Mexico has promised to send to bolster its border with the U.S.
During his news conference on Tuesday, McGuinty said the combined might of the RCMP, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and provincial police forces puts the count "slightly over 10,000 people who are actually on the border right now."
Trudeau did commit to three new measures on the call: the czar role, a promise to list Mexican cartels as terrorists under Canadian law and a new $200-million intelligence directive on organized crime and fentanyl.
The details of that directive are also vague.
In a social media post on Monday, Trump said he was "very pleased" Canada has a plan in place to secure the northern border.
Figures from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) show the agency seized 19.5 kilograms of fentanyl at the northern border last year, compared to 9,570 kilograms at the southwestern one.
That hasn't stopped Trump from demanding Canada take a firmer position against fentanyl, a drug the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said killed more than 74,000 Americans in 2023.
Pierre-Yves Bourduas, a retired deputy commissioner of the RCMP who is now president of PY Safety, said he hopes the government chooses someone who can "hit the ground running" and gives them authority and responsibility to "make things happen as quickly as possible."
"We're looking here at a very short window of opportunity to demonstrate to our neighbours to the south and the president that we're taking this very seriously," he said.
"I think it's actually troubling that Canada and our prime minister recognized that this has been an issue for a number of years and yet now the government is reacting to a president."
Alberta premier wanted a military general
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith had been publicly pitching the federal government to appoint a retired military general as "border czar" to work with Trump appointee Tom Homan.
In an interview with CBC's Power & Politics, the premier said she was glad to see news of a fentanyl point person.
"We have one prime minister who is not going to be there in 33 days and then a new prime minister who might only be there for another 33 days and then a new prime minister after that," she said, referring to the upcoming Liberal leadership vote and the election that is expected to soon follow.
"We need to have a consistent voice through this period to demonstrate that we're making real progress on it."
During a news conference before the tariffs were paused, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called on the government to send Canadian soldiers to the border.
A spokesperson for Defence Minister Bill Blair said Tuesday that Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members will not be deployed to the border, but added the military has received a request to help support the RCMP's efforts.
The spokesperson, Andrew Green, said the CAF is providing planning, liaison, logistics and communications to the RCMP's national border task force and sending 70 drones over the coming weeks "as capacity allows."
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With files from Ashley Burke and Catherine Cullen