MONCTON – At least 51 people died while homeless, vulnerably housed or struggling with addiction over the past year in Moncton, according to community members who organized a memorial service to mark their passing.
Dozens of people gathered for the solemn event in Victoria Park, near downtown Moncton, in December. Names of the deceased were read over a loudspeaker one-by-one, and people affixed paper leaves bearing those names to the branches of a tree.
Local resident John Renton, part of a grassroots group called the Ragged People, which helps support homeless people in Moncton, paid tribute to friends who died from overdose and suicide.
“The invasiveness of illicit drugs is both cause and effect of the countless number of those suffering on our streets today,” he told the crowd, which included staff from various social agencies and community members, some of whom wept during the service.
Mr. Renton called for an end to stigma affecting people struggling with poverty, drugs and homelessness. “I’m glad to see a good turnout of people, the media coverage, just anything to stop stigma and bring attention to the crisis is a big deal,” he told the NB Media Co-op.
The Rev. Chris VanBuskirk of St. George Anglican Church – an inner-city church that provides hot meals and other services from its basement – presided over the service, which also included reflections from community members, music performed by guitarist and singer Jeremy Reid, and readings from scripture.
Mr. VanBuskirk cited the official figure of 51 deaths but acknowledged that the true number might be higher. In 2023, at least 55 people died in conditions of homelessness and addiction, compared to at least 23 people the previous year.
“This takes a great toll obviously on families, but also on frontline workers and on volunteers who really become close with those that they’re working with,” he said. “Obviously, it takes a great toll on friends.”
He said that efforts to get people into stable housing have improved with the introduction of the so-called Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS), software that helps various social agencies and government departments to coordinate the provision of services.
But he called for more people in the community to lend a helping hand. “We need neighbours and friends… beyond the experts, just each one of us knowing that we can do something,” he said.
Shannon Barry, senior director of outreach with YMCA of Greater Moncton, said there’s been significant progress over the past year in terms of getting people from shelters or encampments into stable housing. But she acknowledged that it’s a struggle amid an ongoing shortage of affordable housing coupled with the drug overdose crisis.
“Unfortunately, our numbers just keep growing and it’s hard to stay on top of things or keep up with the inflow that we’re experiencing, especially with our low vacancy rates in Moncton, but there is progress happening,” she said.
Asked what needs to change, she noted that housing is a key aspect of people’s recovery process. “Sixty per cent of the loss that we had this year was due to accidental overdose,” she said. “So housing and addressing our toxic drug supply are definitely the ones that would have the most impact on folks that we work with day in and day out.”
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