After two long years and many ZOOM meetings, our Stronger Together Canada team finally had a chance to meet in person in Edmonton on October 14th and 15th, 2022. It makes such a difference to make these connections in person.

On the first day, the Stronger Together teams from across Canada conducted joint strategic planning to take our programs to the next level. Planning started with celebrating successes and accomplishments, including the growth of both programs across the country for both online and in-person Healing Heart and Holding Hope groups.

Ongoing challenges include finding and training instructors in all communities where there is a demand and making sure that people affected by substance use and substance use related deaths know about and can access our groups. Future plans for the programs include an increase in Indigenous and Francophone support groups, programs for children and youths affected by a loved ones’ substance use and a phone line for families. We hope to make the retreat an annual event.

On Saturday local Moms Stop The Harm members and supporters joined Healing Hearts and Holding Hope facilitators for a day of learning. We started with a smudge ceremony and a presentation by Cree Elders and a powerful and emotional blanket exercise.

This was followed by Naloxone training with 4B Harm Reduction Society. During the training we had a lively discussion about the role of failed drug policies that bring us highly concentrated toxic drugs and the urgent need to work toward safe regulated substances. All other measures are essential to keep people alive, but will not get at the root cause.

Afterwards, everyone was comfortable drawing up Naloxone and injecting it into oranges, we went out into the community to share some mom love in downtown Edmonton. We provided pizza, sandwiches, warm clothes and of course harm reduction supplies, with the help of Angie Staines and her team from 4B. Meeting very young and older community members who were hungry and needed clothing was heartbreaking for us all and showed how broken the system is and how much work there is left to be done.

The networking event in the evening found all three co-founders, Leslie McBain, Lorna Thomas and Petra Schulz, in the same place for the first time in years, as Leslie was visiting her family in Edmonton. Lorna showed the documentary “Building Hope: Substance Use in the Trades” that she co-produced.

Everyone agreed on the importance of building relationships and learning together in person. We shared many hugs and tears and left strengthened in our resolve to work toward achieving our aims to end the toxic drug crisis.