Honouring Elder Wanda Whitebird and the Fight Against Overdose Loss

Every August, Toronto marks International Overdose Awareness Day — a time to remember lives lost and reflect on the urgent need for compassion and change.

Fred Alvarado — Local Journalism Initiative 

At the corner of Queen Street East and Sherbourne, Moss Park has long been a gathering place for Toronto’s First Nations community and harm reduction advocates. In 2022, ceremonies, healing circles, and community celebrations were held here to honour those lost to overdose — guided by Indigenous leaders who cared deeply for their people, as First Nations remain among the most impacted by the ongoing drug poisoning crisis. These traditions of remembrance have become deeply tied to International Overdose Awareness Day, strengthening its call for unity and action.

International Overdose Awareness Day comes amid a worsening crisis. Since the Ontario government began closing supervised consumption sites in March 2025, overdoses have surged. According to the Toronto Drop-In Network, June 2025 alone saw a 288% increase in overdoses, leaving communities like Moss Park hardest hit.

Wanda Whitebird, a Mi’kmaq Elder and founder of the Annual Strawberry Ceremony, dedicated her life to creating spaces of healing, remembrance, and dignity for Toronto’s Indigenous community. Her teachings embraced both Indigenous traditions and modern harm reduction practices, bridging worlds to ensure no one was forgotten.

The overdose crisis hits especially hard in Moss Park and surrounding Downtown East communities, where poverty, homelessness, and limited access to health services compound the risks. Families, friends, and entire neighbourhoods are carrying the weight of this crisis, making advocacy, compassion, and stronger supports more urgent than ever.