Sounder News
This is the eighth and final article in the Building Hope series about the poisoned drug crisis and its impacts on Gabriola Island. Part 1 of the series can be found here.
For a list of resources and supports in relation to these subjects please visit https://ghwcollaborative.ca/poison-drug-action-table.
The Poisoned Drug Action Table’s Building Hope article series has covered multiple angles of a complex issue.
Gabriola Island has not escaped the ongoing drug poisoning crisis.
Illicit drug toxicity deaths in the Greater Nanaimo Community Health Service Area, which includes Gabriola, were spread throughout the entire service area in 2024, according to data mapped by the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Certain groups are more at risk.
According to statistics compiled by Island Health from 2021 through 2024, in the Greater Nanaimo Local Health Area an overwhelming majority of drug poisoning deaths were male.
Illicit drug death data compiled by the BC Coroners Service has found that individuals working in the construction, trades and transport industry are commonly represented.
Drug toxicity disproportionately impacts First Nations peoples throughout B.C.; on Vancouver Island, the community experienced a death rate 4.6 times higher than other residents of the region in 2024, according to the First Nations Health Authority.
Experts working in the field of harm reduction say addiction, including drug and alcohol use, transcends all communities and socioeconomic groups.
The loss of one person to an overdose ripples throughout the lives of the people they left behind.
As part of the series, Shannon Krell wrote about her relationship with her brother, Ryan, who died in May 2020 at the age of 46. Through an accounting of Hilary’s story, we learned about her son, Nick, who died in 2015 at the age of 34. Both of these men began using substances from a young age.
Their stories demonstrate the presence of co-occurring disorders such as mental health diagnoses, childhood trauma and intergenerational substance use.
Two women with ties to Gabriola, Sang and Shannon, also shared their experiences of what led to their addiction – for one it began with medication prescribed for an injury – and the ongoing process of being in recovery, including having access to timely, appropriate care as well as the importance of the people in their lives that formed their networks of support.
Service providers working on the front lines of responding to overdose calls as well as in the justice system also offered their perspectives for the series. Paramedic Brian Twaites discussed the impacts overdose callouts can have on emergency medical assistants and the efforts that have been made to provide mental health supports for them. James Arends, a criminal defence lawyer who has represented clients with drug charges as well as other criminal charges, also provided insights, describing his clients coming from various backgrounds, from people living in their vehicles to people with university degrees.
Finally, we heard from two organizations on Gabriola, The HOPE Centre and Gabriola Commons.
Ashley Manning with The HOPE Centre discussed her experience connecting with youth who attend the centre’s popular teen program, some of whom have witnessed drug overdoses among friends and family members. Heather Menzies discussed the Commons’s initiatives to engage with unhoused community members, such as around fire safety.
The following was submitted by the Poisoned Drug Action Table and offers reflections on the series from members of the table and suggested actions for community members to take to stay engaged and informed on the topics covered.
Lessons Learned: Compassion, connection and a way forward in the poisoned drug crisis. When members of the Poisoned Drug Action Table (PDAT) reflect on their work to bring the realities of the poisoned drug crisis to light, they balance the weight of grief with the determination to foster compassion and care.
Over the past months, the PDAT – made up of representatives from Island Health, local organizations, people with lived and living experience and family members who have lost loved ones – produced an eight-part public education series in the Gabriola Sounder.
The goal was simple but urgent: to give community members the information they need to understand the poisoned drug crisis and to help build empathy for those impacted.
Nothing about us without us. Gretchen Brown of Moms Stop the Harm, who lost her son to the crisis, underscored a central principle: “Nothing about us without us. “Without the voices of those directly affected,” she said, solutions will never be fully informed.
“We need to be at the decision-making tables,” she emphasized.
Her perspective echoed throughout the group: real change requires amplifying the voices of people with lived experience – and ensuring they’re not just heard, but included where policies and programs are shaped.
Love, humanity and hope. For some, like Shannon Witham, the work is both personal and deeply emotional.
Confronted with the negative portrayals in mainstream and online media, she sometimes asks herself, “Where do I find the strength to go on?”
Yet she finds balance by looking closer to home.
“The internet isn’t always reflective of what’s going on in our community,” she said. “There is good stuff happening here.”
She urged people not to lose sight of love.
“This is a human crisis. People understand mothers. Don’t lose track of your love for people.”
Connections that save lives. For Brandon Riopka, who has worked both on the front lines and at the regional level, the crisis is about humanity: “Lives can change very quickly if we open space for compassion.”
He spoke about the growing interconnectedness between communities, the importance of regional strategies and the value of listening to those who have lived it.
“Listen to our moms,” he said, acknowledging Moms Stop the Harm as valued partners.
Brandon also reminded the group that involuntary treatment – often proposed by those terrified of losing someone – is not a silver bullet.
“Lots of people are suffering in silence and shame,” he said. “This project is a starting place.”
Small steps, lasting trust. For Danielle Bye, progress is about persistence and patience.
She described reaching out repeatedly to someone who appeared unwilling to connect.
“It’s about making connections and building relationships,” she said.
“Sometimes it takes many tries. You have to give people space while staying open to the possibility.”
Her approach reflects one of PDAT’s underlying values: the belief that trust is built slowly, through consistency and care.
The long view. Claire Dineen brought decades of experience to the table – and a sobering reminder of the scale of the crisis.
She recalled a 1994 coroner’s report that warned about 400 annual drug deaths and called for action.
“We are now at 16,000 deaths,” she said.
“This is our new normal.”
The political climate, she observed, has become more reactionary, while the cost of living has soared.
These pressures have deepened the struggles of everyday working people, even those not directly affected by toxic drugs.
Despite the death toll, she noted, people continue to use – or start using – substances.
Dineen also noted the increased cognitive damage to those using, as well as surviving overdose, from the unpredictable mix of today’s drug supply.
Yet she also expressed pride in her work, particularly around naloxone training, pointing to the over 500 Gabriolans who have received naloxone training and are ready to act.
The toll — and the truth. Shannon Witham notes that people often use substances as an antidote to deep physical or emotional pain.
This truth, however uncomfortable, is part of what PDAT wants the community to understand.
Stigma will only worsen the problem; compassion and harm reduction can save lives.
A call to the community. PDAT members agree: while the work is exhausting, there is reason for hope. Change is possible.
But it requires collective effort – and that’s where the community comes in.
The group asks Gabriolans to:
– Stay informed – read and share factual information about the crisis.
– Challenge stigma – speak with compassion, and correct myths when you hear them.
– Support harm reduction – ensure everyone has access to life-saving tools like naloxone.
– Include lived experience – make space for those directly affected to lead the conversation.
Community input is an integral part of this series. Please share your thoughts or questions by emailing gabriolapdat@gmail.com
All responses will be treated as confidential and will help us gauge the impact of the series.
This series is made possible by funding from the Community Action Initiative.
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