Event in the Sault remembers victims of opioid crisis
An evening of remembrance took place Wednesday in Sault Ste. Marie to mark International Overdose Awareness Day.
Hundreds gathered at an event held by Save Our Young Adults (SOYA.)
Those on hand spent time grieving and gaining strength from others that have also lost loved ones to overdose.
SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott said that's what her group is all about.
“Our motto is ‘you’re not alone,’" Raynor-Elliott said.
"As you can tell, we are many. It is, it’s very emotional, because all of a sudden one moment you’re talking to your loved one on the phone, and the next thing you know you’re filling out an application to put their name on the wall.”
That wall is the Memorial Wall at the Sault's Civic Centre. It's filled with the names of people who died of drug overdoses.
Another way of honouring those lost is by etching their names on stones at the base of the wall.
Unfortunately, names are regularly being added.
More than 100 people died in the Algoma District in the last year as a result of drug overdose, many due to the rise in opioid use.
“This has been the single most critical issue that’s been in front of the city," said Sault Mayor Christian Provenzano.
"City council has been lobbying aggressively at both levels of government to get the resources that we need to provide care in our community. And we want to make a very clear statement that people that are suffering with mental health and addiction issues, they need health care.”
Raynor-Elliott said a top priority should be to fund the recently closed Day Treatment Centre.
The SOYA founder also said more public awareness is needed on opioids.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW What Canada is doing about the toxic forever chemicals in drinking water
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson Airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Here's why experts don't think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai's downpour
Scientists say it's highly unlikely cloud seeding is responsible for the heavy rains that have caused flooding in the United Arab Emirates this month, and that climate change is the more likely culprit.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.