This day arrives with profound heaviness as we reach 10 years since the toxic drug crisis was declared a public health emergency in British Columbia. In that time, more than 19,000 lives have been lost, including BCGEU members and their loved ones. This loss is unbearable, and it continues every day.  

Our union stands with everyone demanding dignity for all and access to high-quality, evidence-based and voluntary healthcare services. These supports have been needed for years. We also know that in order to heal and establish safety, people need the security and liberty that affordable housing provides. We must keep advocating, knowing that housing is a human right. 

We recognize that this deep and ongoing grief carried by so many, including the workers who have spent the past decade responding to this crisis, is not ending as soon as it must.  Frontline workers have been asked to do the impossible: to offer support in a world that has barriers at every turn, to advocate for the value of human life, and to save lives in a system that continues to fall short. The toll of that work is real, and it matters. 

Ten years into this crisis, the failure to make meaningful progress cannot continue. Incremental steps have not matched the scale or urgency of the loss. We join the calls for urgent action to protect lives and end this crisis. 

Today, we remember those we have lost. We recommit ourselves to pushing for the bold, evidence-based action that this moment demands. In the face of all this adversity, we must carry forward together in loving remembrance of thousands who should still be with us. 

We remember. We grieve. And, together in solidarity, we will keep taking action for change. 

UWU/MoveUP