Thousands of people descended on uptown New West for a day of entertainment, information and reflection at Recovery Day 2022.
Recovery Day’s 10th anniversary celebration on Sept. 10 featured more than 200 information booths and vendors, including recovery organizations, service groups and food trucks.
At Sixth and Belmont, people wrote messages and names of loved ones on colourful pieces of paper, which were placed on the Overdose Memorial Tree. By the end of the day, the tree was filled with hundreds of names.
“Over the years, names of people lost to overdose have been added to this tree to honour their memory,” said a notice about the tree. “Take a moment to reflect or add a name.”
The kids zone featured a variety of children’s activities, including face painting, Lego building and crafts.
Performers at the street festival included Tom Cochrane, Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Fred Penner.
“This is about recovery, with a concert,” said Giuseppe Ganci, chair of the Recovery Day BC Society board.
Recovery Day aims to build awareness about recovery from addiction, challenge societal stigma and celebrate the role that recovery plays in improving lives for individuals, families, and communities.
Ganci, who is director of community development for the New West-based Last Door Recovery Society, told the crowd that Recovery Day brings a variety of resources together in one spot. He said people are dying because of addiction – either instantly or over time.
Ganci was among the people who spoke at Recovery Day’s formal presentations. He noted that the kids zone was an important aspect to Recovery Day.
“It’s never too early to talk about recovery. It’s never too early to talk about mental health. It’s never too early to talk about drug use,” he said.
