Activism and storytelling expected to take centre stage at Thunder Bay's Rockin' Recovery event

Organizers in Thunder Bay, Ont., have been busy preparing for the 11th annual Rockin' Recovery event scheduled to take place this Saturday at the city's CLE Coliseum Building.

Storytelling is at the heart of the event, along with the message that recovery from addiction is possible.

"Stories are important because you see yourself or your family or your coworkers in them. It reminds you that we're all human. And at the end of the day, it really is through connection, hope, love that recovery is possible," said Tammy Turnbull, one of the organizers behind the event.

Turnbull is a member of the Drug Awareness Committee, which organizes Rockin' Recovery along with a coalition of community organizations, including the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, and the Thunder Bay Drug Strategy.

Organizers say the inaugural Rockin' Recovery event saw over one hundred people in attendance, but now 11 years later they expect to reach thousands of people. That's thanks to in-person attendance, along with virtual streams of the event.

Event expected to have people rally together 

Turnbull says a strong turn out of attendees is key, as she expects the tone of this year's event to be different than years' past.

This year, Rockin' Recovery comes on the heels of the provincial government announcing the closure of Thunder Bay's only safe consumption site.

It's a move that's been widely protested by advocates in the city.

"I'm hoping that it'll help us rally and protest," said Turnbull.

"The centre that has that particular part of their program in their agency, they're gonna be there and they're gonna be talking about it. And we support them 100 per cent because Thunder Bay is so small that we are the hub for many," she continued.

Earlier this month, Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the province is banning the sites within 200 metres of schools and child-care centres, meaning 10 locations in the province, including Path 525 in Thunder Bay, must shut down by March 31, 2025.

Path 525, which is operated by NorWest Community Health Centres (NWCHC), is on the city's south side, around the corner from Ogden Community Public School.

Opened in 2018, the service's clients can bring in drugs from the street to use in the presence of a registered nurse, who can help them if they overdose.

Despite the recent news of the city losing this resource, organizers are hopeful they can still foster a sense of celebration at Rockin' Recovery.

They hope to do that through family friendly activities and music, courtesy of Juno nominated folk musician Craig Cardiff.

"I feel like music is just a way to capture stories and share things, big hard things. And so, I mean, some of my music has tried to do that, but also there can be celebration," said Cardiff, leading up to Saturday's event.

"That was something that the organizers touched on last year. You know, this is really hard stuff. And surviving it or coming through is to be celebrated. And that's stuck with me," he added.

Cardiff took part in last year's event, and he said the cause is near and dear to him.

Rockin' Recovery is a free event and it will be held September 7 from 11:30 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the CLE Coliseum Building.