'Everyone seems to be affected': Walk puts spotlight on North Vancouver Island overdose toll

A Campbell River, B.C., woman who lost her daughter to an opioid overdose hopes others can be helped with more understanding and supportfor people affected by addictions.

Tracy Masters' daughter Elann diedin March at age 30.

This week found Masters making hundreds of purplebowsand distributing bumper stickers as the coordinator for an International Overdose Awareness Day walk inthe Vancouver Island city on Saturday.

"The whole pandemic overdose crisis is just so enormous and impacting so many people," Masters told Liz McArthur on CBC Radio's On the Island.

Weekly support group launched

"I want to bring awareness to our local community and to anyone, because everyone seems to be affected."

The overdose awarenesswalk isn't Masters' first effortto increase awareness and support for local residents affected by the overdose crisis.

Three months ago with her sister, Kristy Masters, she launched a weekly peer support group for people seeking information or asympathetic ear.They called the support group"Masters of Hope".

"It just kind of started on a whim, but the response we've had has been overwhelming" she said. More than 200 people joined in the first two months.

As of mid-August, 13 people from North VancouverIslandhad died from fentanyl-related overdoses this year, according to a B.C. Coroners Serviceupdate.

Several other support groups and services in the area reflect the magnitude of the opioid crisis on the North Island. They include an outreach service thatwill go to people's homes toprovide safe consumption supplies and supervise their drug use with oxygen and naloxone in case of an overdose.

Another support group assists grandparents who find themselves parenting grandchildren after their adult children have died or become incapableof caring for them.

Masters said Campbell River still needs more services to support people with opioid addictions and their loved ones.

Treatment centre needed

"Personally I would like to see a treatment centre available, without having to have a wait list," she said. "You know, it starts with small steps."

Elann Masters' deathisn't the first loss of a child for Masters. In 2010her son Scott died from a brain aneurysmat age 25.

With files from CBC Radio's On the Island