A small gathering took place in Barrie on Sunday in honor of Black Balloon Day, which mourns the lives of those lost to the toxic drug crisis.
Black balloons are marked with the names of those who have died to toxic drugs, along with messages of hope and understanding.
The event, which took place at the Pavillion at Heritage Park, was organized by the Barrie organization Ryan’s Hope.
Ryan’s hope was created by Barrie resident Christine Nayler and her husband in honor of their son, Ryan, who died of toxic drug poisoning. Since Ryan’s passing in 2020, the organization has continued to raise awareness about homelessness, addiction and mental health.
“We’re really advocating for safe supply, so decriminalization, not making it be something that is a criminal issue,” Nayler says. “Addressing it like a public health issue and allowing anybody that needs drugs to cope with whatever mental illness, trauma, whatever, that they have access to safe supply,” she adds.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit estimates that 245 people have died from opioid-related deaths from March 2020 to September 2021 in our region.
More information about Ryan’s Hope can be found here.