Advocates marked the ninth anniversary of the province declaring the toxic drug crisis a public health emergency with a memorial at Rotary Park on Monday, April 14.
Posters adorned the Rotary Park bandstand honouring those who have died due to drug poisonings, while local volunteers and social non-profits had tables set up for naloxone training — a life-saving drug administered when someone is experiencing an overdose — as well as to provide other information and resources.
Isaac Birdstone opened the ceremony with drumming and an explanation of each piece, while Polly Sutherland, Team Lead with ANKORS East Kootenay gave introductory remarks. Jurrasic Mike provided musical entertainment from the bandstand, while volunteers cooked up a community barbecue.
Sutherland and the ANKORS East Kootenay team are working on the ground and at the forefront of the toxic drug crisis in Cranbrook.
Sutherland acknowledged those volunteers and those who use ANKORS services as family.
"We help them and they help us every day," said Sutherland. "We've gotten through this epidemic in that way right from the very beginning. It's been absolutely horrible. The grief is just layered and surmounted by stigma and just always pushback."
In 2016, the B.C. government declared a public health emergency on April 14th in response to the toxic drug crisis and the mounting deaths caused by a poisoned illicit drug supply.
Since then, approximately 14,500 people have died from the crisis.
"This crisis continues to have a devastating impact throughout our province, from families and communities to the front-line workers who provide care, support and compassion in the face of unimaginable loss," said Health Minister Josie Osborne, in a press release.
In Cranbrook alone, 77 people have died due to toxic drugs over the last nine years, according to B.C. Coroners Service records.
"This epidemic is not over," said Sutherland. "Drug poisonings continue to impact our communities."
Sutherland noted the way the toxicity of the drug supply over the years has gotten worse.
"The drug scene has changed for the youth and the drug scene has changed for everyone who uses drugs. The toxic supply is just surmounting, the complexities are incredible," Sutherland said.
"...The drug induced psychosis that is happening for people because of the samples being layered with this poison...the days of kids using mushroom and smoking some weed at a party are over. Now, you have to worry about dying.
"I think our education with youth needs to continue"
Sutherland also recognized the number of lives that have been saved by peer users.
"We could not have gotten to where we are now — we couldn't even hold this event because of our hearts being so broken — if it weren't for the people on the streets who support us so much and they are the ones who have saved the most lives," Sutherland said. "So the people that are living, many of them without homes, are the ones saving the most people in British Columbia and across Canada and they don't get recognized enough."
