This article describes the prevalence of heavy drinking among the Canadian population and the prevalence of alcohol dependence among heavy drinkers aged 18 or older. It also examines the association of depression to alcohol dependence among the latter group and the correlates of depression and alcohol dependence comorbidity. The data are from a national representative sample of the Canadian population in 2000/01. One in five current drinkers aged 18 or older was classified as a regular heavy drinker. This constituted a significant increase of approximately 2% in the prevalence of heavy drinking from 1996/97 to 2000/01 in Canada (p