Blue Hat Memorial Project At Tyee Spit

A Campbell River Council initiative to recognize the deaths of men and boys in Canada since the opioid crisis began is moving ahead.

The Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags was created by artist and Councillor Ron Kerr.

The display will include 36,000 blue flags, which represent the approximate number of unregulated drug deaths of men and boys in Canada since the opioid crisis began in 2016.

That represents around 75 per cent of the total deaths in Canada.

The display will also include 14,000 purple flags to represent the women and girls whose lives have been lost during this time.

“Every life lost to the opioid crisis is a tragedy, and we as a Council will continue to do whatever we can to continue this important dialogue,” says Mayor Kermit Dahl.

“The 2024 coroners report shows that Campbell River is the second highest local health area in BC for fatal overdoses per capita. We must collectively mourn these losses and demand more supports for treatment and recovery services in our communities.”

Councillor Kerr will be on site to install the flags at Tyee Spit beginning Friday.

Volunteers are welcome to help out by joining on-site daily Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

The installation is funded through donations from community organizations.

The official opening of the project will take place on Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Last year, the first Blue Hat Memorial Project was installed at Campbell River City Hall to coincide with International Overdose Awareness Day.

It included 12,000 Blue Flags representing the number of unregulated drug deaths of men and boys in B.C.

A separate memorial acknowledging the 189 women and men in Campbell River who lost their lives due to the crisis during this time was represented by purple and white flags.

Other Blue Hat Memorial Projects have been installed in Vancouver and Nanaimo.

Visit City of Campbell River for project history and the full news release.