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Apr 08, 2025

The Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags Installed at ʔUxstalis (Tyee Spit)
The installation looks to recognize the ongoing impacts of the opioid crisis.

The Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags is a Council initiative created by artist and Councillor Ron Kerr. The display will include 36,000 blue flags, which represent the approximate number of unregulated drug deaths of men and boys in Canada since the beginning of the opioid crisis in 2016, according to Government of Canada data. This represents around 75 per cent of the total deaths in Canada. This display will also include 14,000 purple flags to represent the women and girls whose lives have been lost during this time.

“Every life lost to the opioid crisis is a tragedy, and we as a Council will continue to do whatever we can to continue this important dialogue,” says Mayor Kermit Dahl. “The 2024 coroners report shows that Campbell River is the second highest local health area in BC for fatal overdoses per capita. We must collectively mourn these losses and demand more supports for treatment and recovery services in our communities.”

“I first brought the Blue Hat initiative forward for Council’s consideration in 2024 to highlight the tragic impacts of the opioid crisis on males in our community – particularly those that are tied to trades and industry. The stories that I have heard from loved ones through this project have reinforced the importance of this discussion, to me,” says Councillor Ron Kerr. “The numbers of unregulated drug deaths continue to climb, so with every installation of this project, I am ordering more flags. It’s overwhelming that we as a society have become numb to this – which is why these visuals are so important to understand the immensity of this loss.”

Artist Ron Kerr will be on site to install the flags beginning Friday, April 11, 2025. Volunteers are welcome to assist with this installation by joining on-site daily from April 11 to 13, 2025. The installation of this initiative is funded through donations from community organizations.

Members of the public are invited to the official opening of the Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags which will take place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 10 a.m. Members of Council will be in attendance.

“The site of this installation, ʔuxstalis, has been a home to Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ families for generations”, says Elected Chief Chris Roberts of the Wei Wai Kum Nation. “We know that the opioid crisis disproportionally affects Indigenous Peoples across Canada, and it certainly has had and continues to have devastating impacts to our community and all First Nations communities in the region, and this is why the Wei Wai Kum Nation has joined the City of Campbell River to advocate for government investment in treatment and recovery facilities.”

The Blue Hat Memorial Project History:
- In August 2024, the first Blue Hat Memorial Project was installed at Campbell River City Hall to coincide with International Overdose Awareness Day. This installation included 12,000 Blue Flags which represented the number of unregulated drug deaths of men and boys in B.C. since the beginning of the opioid crisis in 2016, according to the BC Coroners Service. A separate memorial acknowledged the 189 women and men in Campbell River who lost their lives due to the opioid crisis during this time, represented by purple and white flags.
- In October 2024, the second Blue Hat Memorial Project was installed on the North Shore in Vancouver beside the Lions Gate Bridge. 12,000 blue flags and 3,000 purple flags marked the lives lost in BC since the start of the opioid crisis in 2016.
- In March 2025, the third Blue Hat Memorial Project took place on the Nanaimo waterfront to recognize the 3,000 women and girls in British Columbia, and the 12,000 women and girls in Canada who have died.

Featured

The Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags Installed at ʔUxstalis (Tyee Spit)

by Alison Harrower | Apr 08, 2025

The installation looks to recognize the ongoing impacts of the opioid crisis.

The Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags is a Council initiative created by artist and Councillor Ron Kerr. The display will include 36,000 blue flags, which represent the approximate number of unregulated drug deaths of men and boys in Canada since the beginning of the opioid crisis in 2016, according to Government of Canada data. This represents around 75 per cent of the total deaths in Canada. This display will also include 14,000 purple flags to represent the women and girls whose lives have been lost during this time.

“Every life lost to the opioid crisis is a tragedy, and we as a Council will continue to do whatever we can to continue this important dialogue,” says Mayor Kermit Dahl. “The 2024 coroners report shows that Campbell River is the second highest local health area in BC for fatal overdoses per capita. We must collectively mourn these losses and demand more supports for treatment and recovery services in our communities.”

“I first brought the Blue Hat initiative forward for Council’s consideration in 2024 to highlight the tragic impacts of the opioid crisis on males in our community – particularly those that are tied to trades and industry. The stories that I have heard from loved ones through this project have reinforced the importance of this discussion, to me,” says Councillor Ron Kerr. “The numbers of unregulated drug deaths continue to climb, so with every installation of this project, I am ordering more flags. It’s overwhelming that we as a society have become numb to this – which is why these visuals are so important to understand the immensity of this loss.”

Artist Ron Kerr will be on site to install the flags beginning Friday, April 11, 2025. Volunteers are welcome to assist with this installation by joining on-site daily from April 11 to 13, 2025. The installation of this initiative is funded through donations from community organizations.

Members of the public are invited to the official opening of the Blue Hat Memorial Project: 50,000 Flags which will take place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at 10 a.m. Members of Council will be in attendance.

“The site of this installation, ʔuxstalis, has been a home to Liǧʷiłdax̌ʷ families for generations”, says Elected Chief Chris Roberts of the Wei Wai Kum Nation. “We know that the opioid crisis disproportionally affects Indigenous Peoples across Canada, and it certainly has had and continues to have devastating impacts to our community and all First Nations communities in the region, and this is why the Wei Wai Kum Nation has joined the City of Campbell River to advocate for government investment in treatment and recovery facilities.”

The Blue Hat Memorial Project History:

In August 2024, the first Blue Hat Memorial Project was installed at Campbell River City Hall to coincide with International Overdose Awareness Day. This installation included 12,000 Blue Flags which represented the number of unregulated drug deaths of men and boys in B.C. since the beginning of the opioid crisis in 2016, according to the BC Coroners Service. A separate memorial acknowledged the 189 women and men in Campbell River who lost their lives due to the opioid crisis during this time, represented by purple and white flags.
In October 2024, the second Blue Hat Memorial Project was installed on the North Shore in Vancouver beside the Lions Gate Bridge. 12,000 blue flags and 3,000 purple flags marked the lives lost in BC since the start of the opioid crisis in 2016.
In March 2025, the third Blue Hat Memorial Project took place on the Nanaimo waterfront to recognize the 3,000 women and girls in British Columbia, and the 12,000 women and girls in Canada who have died.