Last Saturday, March 25th, marked the 3rd annual We Remember Them event where the community came together to commemorate the lives lost due to the ongoing opioid crisis. United Way Bruce Grey, Safe n’ Sound, Grey Bruce Public Health, and other community partners hosted the event at the Owen Sound Farmers’ Market.

The event saw community members participate in the symbolic gesture of dropping a carnation into the river, surrounding the 8th and 9th Street Bridges, in honor of those who have passed away in our community. Donations were encouraged to support the Supportive Outreach Service (SOS) Project.

We would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who attended. We also want to thank Gelja Sheardown for bringing this idea to us three years ago, without whom this event wouldn’t have been possible.

We also heard from some attendees who expressed that this event helped them reflect and process their grief. We are thankful for the support provided by Grey Bruce Public Health, who offered Naloxone kits, safe-use equipment, and technical advice on our current Opioid Epidemic and the Opioid Response Plan.

Together, as a community, we will continue to remember and honor those we have lost and work towards a solution to eradicate opioid addiction.