Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Winnipeg Sunday for the third annual Fentanyl Awareness Day Walk, remembering loved ones who died from drug poisoning and calling for greater awareness of the ongoing opioid crisis.
The walk, organized by the Singing Red Bear Foundation, brought together families, friends and community members to honour those who died and provide a space to grieve without stigma.
For Andrea Palamer, the day was about remembering her son Colin Benoit, who died of a fentanyl overdose in June 2025.
“He had so much life to live ya know. It’s just not fair that this drug did this to him”
Benoit was 27 years old.
Andrea Palamer is seen holding a photo of her son Colin Benoit, who died of a fentanyl overdose in June 2025. CITYNEWS
Palamer says the loss still feels fresh, and she will never forget finding her son.
“I’ll never forget finding him either…It’s just something I can’t get out of my head…I see it every single day”
She says Benoit was known for making people laugh and was deeply loved by his friends, five sisters and three children.
“I want my son remembered by his very very outgoing personality, his smile, his laughter, his humour…he was a really really good person”
The walk was spearheaded by Joseph Fourre, founder of the Singing Red Bear Foundation, who lost his son Harlan to fentanyl in April 2023.
Sunday’s walk also fell on what would have been Harlan’s 34th birthday.
“He was a good man. And a day like today we can bring those faces out and we can see them. And we can mourn them and grieve them without shame. That was my whole purpose of organizing this day. Was giving that safe place to remember them”
Joseph Fourre, founder of the Singing Red Bear Foundation. CITYNEWS
The event comes as Manitoba continues to grapple with the effects of the toxic drug supply.
In 2025, Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service recorded almost 3,000 opioid-related responses, while Manitoba recorded more than 350 suspected substance-related deaths.
That marked a decline from 2024, when there were roughly 570 suspected substance-related deaths in the province.
But Fourre says the decline does not diminish the impact on families who have lost someone.
One of his goals is to reduce the stigma and stereotypes surrounding opioid-related deaths and ensure people who die are remembered as individuals rather than statistics.
“I gotta have hope that things will change and this too shall pass. But I think it won’t pass until enough people in our community rise up and say enough is enough. And this is my way of saying enough is enough”
For Palamer, the message is also about making sure people struggling with substance use know they are not alone.
“Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There’s always help. There’s always different resources. People are out there to try and help you. You don’t have to do this alone”
Participants take part in the third annual Fentanyl Awareness Day Walk. CITYNEWS
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