Upcoming event to honour lives impacted by overdose

A commemorative walk at the end of the month looks to thwart the stigma of addiction and overdose by bringing it into the public eye. 

Drug strategy coordinator Charles Shamess says the idea was first brought forward by Algoma Family Services, one of the roughly 30 member agencies and programs that play a role in the drug strategy committee locally. 

“It’s a way for people to come together and just find some comfort with other people,” Shamess said. 

The commemorative walk will take place at Clergue Park near the Art Gallery of Algoma, and a memorial board will be on site for the public to use. 

“This is for people to write their names of loved ones they lost to overdose, and even those who survived overdose, because there’s lots of people who’ve been through an overdose, or more than one,” Shamess said. 

The public will also be encouraged to drop a leaf or flower into a designated spot along the St. Marys River while the commemorative walk proceeds down the boardwalk. 

Shamess says events like International Overdose Awareness Day are important in terms of reducing the stigma surrounding addiction and overdose. 

“Many people are shamed and made to feel like there’s something wrong with their character when they have addiction, or when they have a family member with addiction,” said Shamess. “The truth is, probably every family in this community has been touched somehow by an addiction issue, and often it’s not spoken about.”

“Having these kinds of memorial events brings it out into the public and reduces the stigma and discrimination.”

Shamess says there’s been talk within Sault Ste. Marie and Area Drug Strategy about having a permanent memorial for lives lost through addiction, whether it be a wall mural, or a standalone plaque or board.   

The drug strategy will be looking for potential sites for the permanent memorial over the next year or so.  

“We’d like to have a permanent place where we can also have an event like this in the future,” he said. 

There have been 70 reported fatal opioid-related overdoses in the Algoma District between 2015 and 2018.

The Sault Ste. Marie and Area Drug Strategy will host the event in Clergue Park Aug. 29 to mark International Overdose Awareness Day. 

The event will run from 1-2:30 p.m.