Roughly one hundred people gathered in Ivey Park on Friday to honour the lives lost to opioid addiction in London, at a memorial celebration hosted by the Middlesex-London Health Unit and a number of its community partners.
The health unit said over the past 10 years the local opioid crisis has claimed the lives of about 400 people.
“Addiction doesn’t discriminate,” said Josh, who describes himself as being in the early stages of recovery and spoke with 980 CFPL at the event.
“It can be your husband, wife, daughter, son, neighbour you don’t like, neighbour you do like, it can be anybody. People really need to wake up to that.”
Josh added that it’s important that people treat those struggling with addiction with respect.
“The stigma of the disease keeps them from getting proper housing, proper medical care. The stigma follows them right into the hospital sometimes.”
The event featured Indigenous drummers, guest speakers with first-hand experience and a reading from London’s Poet Laureate, Tom Cull.
Speaking with 980 CFPL before the event, Brian Lester, executive director for the Regional HIV/Aids Connection said it would be an emotional experience for those attending.
“This memorial will profoundly impact those that are in attendance, but I also hope it will contribute to the process of healing and bringing the community together,” said Lester.
“We just wanted to have an opportunity to bring those folks that care together to actually acknowledge the impact this is having on our community.”
Groups such as the London Abused Women’s Centre, the London Opioid Crisis Working Group and the Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre all took part in the event, which was held at 5 p.m. on Friday.