Changing the Narrative: Anti-Stigma Community Dialogue

Nanaimo Community Action Team (CAT) & The Port Theatre Society co-host:

CHANGING THE NARRATIVE:

Anti-Stigma Community Dialogue on Community Safety, Harm Reduction, and the Toxic Drug Crisis in Nanaimo

Supported by the Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, the Nanaimo Community Action Team (CAT) hosted public dialogues on the toxic drug crisis in 2022 and 2023, which identified de-stigmatization as a critical priority in Nanaimo. This approach aims to dispel myths, reshape narratives, and deepen understanding of substance use and toxic drug poisonings, while emphasizing the interconnectedness of health and nonmedical factors in response to the ongoing crisis in our community.

Join us on May 28, 2024, as the Nanaimo CAT and The Port Theatre Society co-host the concluding dialogue session of this series. This event is made possible through funding from Island Health and the Nanaimo Foundation, and in partnership with the Naut’sa mawt Oceanside Wellness Network, the Nanaimo Brain Injury Society (NBIS), Nanaimo Area Network of Drug Users (NANDU), Vancouver Island University’s Masters of Community Planning Program, and the Child and Youth Care Program.

What to expect

1pm to 2pm — Sign-In, Learn About the Nanaimo CAT, Community Engagement Exercise, and Light Refreshments
2pm — Opening by Elder Lolly Good
2:20pm — Welcoming by Nanaimo CAT Coordinator
2:30pm — Shane Calder, CDPC
2:45pm — Peers In Community
3pm — Guest Speaker Guy Felicella
3:45 to 4pm — Break
4 to 5pm — Panel Discussions “How to address the stigma of the toxic drug crisis in Nanaimo?”

Meet Guy Felicella, a remarkable international speaker and passionate advocate for drug policy reform hailing from the vibrant city of Vancouver, Canada. Guy’s journey is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. From a tender age of 12, he found himself grappling with the burdens of trauma, an undiagnosed learning disability, and emotional pain. Seeking solace, he turned to drugs and alcohol, setting off a turbulent path that eventually led to a substance use disorder that would shape the next two decades of his life.

Guy’s story takes a poignant turn as he became a resident of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES), a neighborhood that grapples with its own set of challenges. Within this crucible of adversity, he endured additional trauma, navigating a life that included bouts of homelessness, confinement within institutions, entanglements with gangs, severe health conditions that threatened to rob him of a limb, and multiple harrowing encounters with overdoses.

However, Guy Felicella’s narrative is one of transformation and hope. With unwavering determination, he has forged a path to recovery that spans over a decade. Today, he harnesses his career and platform to advocate passionately for crucial causes such as trauma therapy, harm reduction, swifter access to treatment, and reformed drug policies. He stands as a beacon of inspiration for countless individuals who have faced similar trials and tribulations, and he remains an unyielding advocate for those who need a voice in the ongoing struggle for a more compassionate and effective approach to drug policy and addiction treatment.

About Nanaimo CAT

The Nanaimo CAT aims to address the effects of the current toxic drug crisis on individuals, families, and the community by engaging with community service providers by:

• Sharing resources and education from an evidence-based, humanistic perspective.
• Working together on projects that address the priorities set forth by the table from time to time.
• Educating the community and destigmatizing the issues of Mental Health, Substance Use and Overdose.
• Engaging Persons with Lived/Living Experience in meaningful opportunities to advance/lead/support the work of addressing the toxic drug crisis.
• Focusing the “will and work” of the table on priorities set out in work plans in response to OERC funding, People with Lived/Living Experience funding, and other grants that are obtained through the convening of the table.

The Nanaimo CAT committee membership consists of the following agencies and departments that are impacted by our community’s substance use disorders and/or mental health challenges:

• Snuneymuxw First Nation
• Persons with Lived/Living Experience including family members affected by substance use
• Health Care Professionals such as the Medical Health Officer, Clinicians, and Island
• Health, First Nations Health Authority representatives
• Mental Health and Substance Use providers
• First Responder agencies (RCMP, Fire, and BCEHS) and Public Safety departments and agencies
• Social Service agencies
• Chamber of Commerce
• Elected officials and City of Nanaimo officials
• Other agencies, individuals and organizations, as appropriate

Free Event

• If you have a question about the Anti-Stigma Dialogue Session, please contact the Nanaimo CAT Coordinator.
• If you need assistance registering, please contact the Ticket Centre.