Home »
Walking in Unity
Interior Health and Yaqan Nuʔkiy come together for fifth annual Canoe Walk
To commemorate National Addictions Awareness Week, members of Yaqan Nuʔkiy (Lower Kootenay Band), Interior Health staff, and Creston community members came together for the fifth annual Canoe Walk, showing solidarity and support for those impacted by the toxic drug crisis, which disproportionately affects Indigenous Peoples and communities across Canada.
The annual six-kilometre Canoe Walk was established in recognition of the sturgeon-nosed canoe gifted from Yaqan Nuʔkiy to the Creston Valley Hospital in 2012.
This canoe was originally carried by Yaqan Nuʔkiy members from the Lower Kootenay Band site to Creston Valley Hospital. A sturgeon-nosed canoe is “representative of life and is unique to Yaqan Nuʔkiy.”
Through the collaboration of Yaqan Nuʔkiy and IH, a second canoe walk was organized on November 23, 2022 and has been held annually since.
“The goal of this annual walk is not only to bring awareness to the struggles of addiction, but to show a renewed commitment to delivering ‘Good Medicine.’ A feeling of hope has emerged from these walks, as people continue to access the care they need and we continue to strive for cultural humility,” said Walter Felitsyn, Director, Clinical Operations – IH East Kootenay Long Term Care.
Held annually in Canada November 17 – 21, National Addiction Awareness Week was organized by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction. It promotes open dialogue on substance use, harm reduction, treatment and recovery.
The 2025 theme for National Addiction Awareness Week, “Anchoring Hope,” focused on reducing stigma and providing essential support for those affected by addiction. Learn more about the initiative here.
Lead image: Participants in the Canoe Walk travelling from the Creston Valley Hospital to the Lower Kootenay Band site. Interior Health photos
Interior Health
