By Pam Wright
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Fours year in, the need to mark International Overdose Awareness Day in Chatham-Kent continues.
The worldwide event, normally held Aug. 31, was marked in Chatham Aug. 26, with a community gathering at R.O.C.K. Mission’s headquarters on Wellington Street.
That’s because the need remains, according to Renee Geniole, executive director of the non-profit.
“I think we’re still pretty much on the same track,” Geniole told The Voice in a recent interview. “I don’t think much has changed. There’s a big worry that overdoses are more underreported because of the closure of supervised consumption sites the government pushed through.”
Statistics from Chatham-Kent Public Health show the problem isn’t abating, as C-K deaths from opioid toxicity per 100,000 were 6.9 in 2026 compared to 3.0 in the rest of Ontario. Compiled as of July 31, the data shows there have been 28 suspected deaths from opioid poisoning this year. Eight are confirmed.
In addition, public health statistics shows there were 154 opioid-related visits to C-K emergency rooms so far this year, as well as 218 EMS calls suspected to be opioid related. Naloxone was administered in 57 per cent of the EMS incidents.
“We’re still losing people in our community, across Ontario and across Canada to a toxic drug supply,” Geniole explained. “There’s still a huge amount of stigma and that’s why we have events like this.”
And while provincial data indicates overdoses are down, Geniole said reports from frontline workers paint a different picture.
“Less people are being monitored as they’re using,” she said, adding drugs coming through the community are becoming increasingly toxic.
Local paramedic Ashley, who declined to use her last name, said she got involved with the work for a number of reasons.
“It’s not one size fits all when it comes to drugs, right?” the young woman said. “It can be the elderly who take too many of their prescription medications. There are people who are recovering from surgery and that’s how they start using. It’s not always who we think, or how we think they got there.”
“It’s real and it’s happening here to people,” added John who stopped by the gathering to paint and socialize, noting drug use and overdose impacts society in many ways.
“It’s really hard on families,” he added.
According to Geniole, R.O.C.K. Missions, now in its seventh year, continues to play a role to support people across the municipality with locations in Chatham and Wallaceburg.
“I think after seven years we’ve earned our place in the community,” she said. “It’s a trusted place for people to come and be and ask for support in a place where they can ask for harm reduction, basic first aid, a bite to eat or a shower. We’ve partnered up with EMS and workers with the municipality to develop Pathways2Care, which has been immensely successful.”
According to Geniole, Pathways2Care allows workers to do preventative work to keep folks out of the ER for minor problems, or send them to the ER if needed.
“That lends to more trust between the people needing the support and the organizations that can provide it,” she said.
R.O.C.K also supports those who have lost someone to overdose to not feel alone.
“If we can bring just a few people together so they can lean on each other, or mourn together, that helps.”
Families interested in accessing supports are invited to contact R.O.C.K., as group sessions led by Mom’s Stop the Harm are planned for later this year.
“We are grateful for our supporters and we just want people to know there are people out there who care,” Geniole said. “Those who use substances and who are homeless are people too.”
