Note: This event has been moved to near the McAllister footbridge on the PoCo Traboulay Trail — not Lions Park as originally stated.
A community event is being held in Port Coquitlam this Sunday, June 18 to raise awareness about B.C.'s overdose crisis and harm prevention.
Organized by the Tri-Cities Community Action Team, the event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. near the McAllister footbridge on the PoCo Traboulay Trail.
(An earlier story stated that the event would be at Lions Park but it has been moved.)
There will be community groups, resources and naloxone training as well as presentations by B.C. mothers whose sons died from toxic drugs.
The event will mark the Port Coquitlam stop of Aubrey’s Run to End Toxic Drug Deaths, led by Jessica Michalofsky in partnership with The Tri-Cities Community Action Team.
This event is taking place as part of Michalofsky’s month-long run across B.C. in honour of her only son Aubrey, who died from toxic drug poisoning in August 2022.
After running more than 900 km around the BC Ministry of Health building in the winter of 2022 to express her grief and protest the government’s slow action to stop drug deaths, Michalofsky is taking her run and message across the province, connecting with people affected by this crisis and calling for action.
Coquitlam mother Marlyse Williams, of Healing Hearts, whose actor son also died of a toxic drug overdose, will also be attending the event, which is open to the public in the hopes of garnering more awareness about the issue and the need for action.
This event is hosted and co-organized in Port Coquitlam by Tri-Cities Community Action Team with support from Moms Stop the Harm.
"People in the Tri-Cities continue to be affected by the toxic drug crisis. Aubrey’s Run Across B.C. and the community events along the way will connect British Columbians affected by the toxic drug crisis, raise awareness about the danger of criminalized drugs, and unite communities in taking action for supports and safe supply," a press release states.
The Tri-Cities Community Action Team is a group of multiple stakeholders working together to support and facilitate local partnerships, coordinate programs and services, address gaps, and plan for collaborative community action around the toxic drug supply within the Tri-Cities.
"We aim to break down the stigma surrounding mental health and substance use through creative expressions, interactive education, and connecting resources. Whether this be at community events, on the side of the road, at youth centres, through speech, or providing a safe space to share stories," the group states.
Find out more on the website.
