Moms Stop the Harm visit Kelowna for Photo Voice Project

The Photo Voice Project is a powerful gallery placed inside the Kelowna Interior Health building on Doyle Avenue by Addiction Matters Kamloops. 

The exhibit is a part of the stop for the Moms Stop the Harm group on International Overdose Awareness Day on Monday.

"This is a great way to come and not be lectured to or talked to, [you] personally walk around and look at these photos and just learn something about addiction and the opioid crisis as a whole,” says Helen Jennens of Moms Stop the Harm. 

“Tremendously impactful for a person who perhaps doesn’t have any experience … the stories are very touching and very moving from a personal perspective so, I hope it opens some eyes that people are people,” adds Arlene Howe from Moms Stop the Harm. 

Pam Turgeon, who is also with the group, says “if you see our children's pictures you feel our grief and this is a way of through one photo might bring awareness to someone in addiction."

The mothers gathered in remembrance of their children and others who have been lost to the overdose crisis. In July 2020, there were 175 suspected illicit drug toxicity deaths in BC alone.

“It’s a persona day of reflection,” Howe said as she choked up. “Having my grief revisited, it’s a day of remembering all those who been lost to overdose … it could be anyone’s someone, my someone was my son.”

“It’s a sad day for all of us, 5,000 lives lost in B.C. for this overdose crisis and our children being a part of the statistics so it’s really important to remember them as the people as they were and to acknowledge the thousands of grieving families out there,” adds Jennens. 

The mothers just want the community, especially those in power, to look for a change in the way overdose is viewed. 

“As raw as it is to us, we’d like the community, the governments to be aware of, this is a crisis that is going on in Canada,” said Turgeon. “We need our Mayor, we need our Premier, we need our Prime Minister to step up to the plate so no more people die … and more mothers suffer like we are.”

“Street drugs are dangerous drugs. They are laced with unknown amounts of fentanyl, it doesn’t matter your status in life, how old you are, if you’re smart - it doesn’t matter - doesn’t matter if it’s your first time, if it’s your hundredth time, these drugs are deadly and they're going to take you.

Moms Stop the Harm was unable to hold a large gathering on this day due to the COVID-19 pandemic but instead they will be meeting at the sails in Downtown Kelowna at dusk for a private candlelight vigil. 

The Photo Voice Project will be up one more week at the IH building on Doyle Ave. The full gallery can be viewed at addictionmatters.ca.