In photos: Kamloops honours lives lost on Overdose Awareness Day

In the first Overdose Awareness Day vigil organized by the Kamloops Women’s Centre, this year’s event brought emotion and forged connection between folks who gathered to remember their loved ones lost to the toxic drug crisis.

Sarah Rhode leaves flowers and a candle at the remembrance vigil for International Overdose Awareness Day on Aug. 31 in Riverside Park.

575 LED candles were gathered at the vigil, marking the number of lives lost to substance use in Kamloops since 2016.

This bench, located on the River’s Trail in Riverside Park, commemorates those lost to substance use, and those still struggling today.

This marks the first year of the vigil, organized by the Kamloops Women’s Centre, alongside a screening of Love In the Time of Fentanyl at the Paramount Theatre.

“You look like you need a hug,” emotions swelled as families and friends of those who’ve lost their lives to toxic drug overdose shared memories of their loved ones.

“Of special note, during our one minute of silence remembering loved ones, Alelujah sung by Shattered Blue [during] music in the park’s final night was playing in the background. It was breathtaking,” Troylana Manson tells The Wren.

“Next year we plan to build more into the vigil as it was observable that this sort of event was needed for our community.”