'These are our children': How ribbon displays are honouring overdose deaths
August marks Overdose Awareness Month and a group of Manitobans got an early start to the campaign.
Arlene Last-Kolb, the co-founder of Overdose Awareness Manitoba, took to Churchill Drive last week to start the organization's purple ribbon campaign.
"The purple ribbon campaign is a way to bring awareness and honour those who died too soon from drug-related deaths," said Last-Kolb.
Now in its fourth year, the campaign commemorates those who passed away from substance-related harms.
"We put these purple ribbons up on trees with pictures to put faces to the numbers. To remind everyone we are talking about our loved ones," said Last-Kolb.
This year, 51 people's photos will be featured, including Last-Kolb's 24-year-old son, who died from fentanyl poisoning in 2014.
"These are our children. These are our loved ones. These are people that are truly missed," said Last-Kolb. "Many of these deaths are preventable and we want to bring awareness."
Overdose Awareness Manitoba will be setting up purple ribbon displays at 11 locations, six within Winnipeg and several in more rural centres like Selkirk, Teulon and St. Adolphe.
"We're just asking for a lot of support and love," Last-Kolb said. "We need to end this stigma."
Along with awareness, the campaign aims to promote the benefits of the opioid reversing drug naloxone, which can be used in overdose situations.
"We need better distribution of naloxone, so I would like to see more people have naloxone. I would like to see the government have a long-term plan to make sure our services are very well covered with naloxone."
While the province has made recent changes to declassify the drug, Last-Kolb said she believes paramedics should become distributors and give naloxone to people who are likely to overdose.
"We want to change this and a lot of these deaths are preventable," she said.
Overdose Awareness Manitoba said anyone is welcome to add purple ribbons to display and those who have lost loved ones to drug-related harms are welcome to add their loved one's photo.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
MPs agree Canadian gov't should improve new disability benefit
The federal government needs to safeguard the incoming Canada Disability Benefit from clawbacks and do more to ensure it actually meets the stated aim of lifting people living with disabilities out of poverty, MPs from all parties agree.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
opinion Tom Mulcair: Trudeau's handling of Poilievre's 'wacko' House turfing a clear sign of Liberal desperation
When Speaker Greg Fergus tossed out Pierre Poilievre from the House last week, "those of us who have experience as parliamentarians simply couldn't believe our eyes," writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair in his column for CTVNews.ca
New charges for Ont. woman who previously admitted to defrauding doulas
The Brantford, Ont. woman who was previously sentenced to house arrest after admitting to deceiving doulas has been charged again in connection to a new victim.