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2024 Yannies Winner!
When Talk Overdose evolved from a student project to an ongoing initiative, we were grateful to have received a microgrant from Youth Action Now. Founded in 2018 by late Member of Parliament and teacher, Paul Dewar, YAN has continued to fulfill Paul’s vision for an organization led by and for youth, since his passing.
In celebration of their 6th year anniversary on November 30th, 2024, YAN hosted a gala they described as “a red-carpet awards ceremony meets networking meets celebration event.” Fourteen awards were given to youth in the Ottawa region that were recipients of Youth Action Now’s microgrants over their history.

Meet Meet Jes Besharah
As someone who once lived on the streets, Jes understands the struggles and stigma faced by people who use opioids.
In this interview, Jes shares personal experiences with harm reduction and caring advice for young people.
For more videos of lived experience with opioids, visit our YouTube channel.

Meet Ophelia Cara
Ophelia Cara developed a dependence on opioids after receiving them for pain relief while in the hospital.
In this candid interview, she talks about her life, her experience with opioids, her feelings about harm reduction, and her personal advice for other young people.
For more videos of lived experience with opioids, visit our YouTube channel.

3rd Annual Let’s Talk Overdose Conference
After entering the Youth Case Competition for opioid intervention at UBC’s Let’s Talk Overdose conference in 2021, we provided UBC with a video update of our project’s progress in 2022. This year, UBC invited us back to provide one of the opening presentations and sit on a panel during one of the afternoon sessions. We provided another video update and answered questions from a moderator and from conference attendees.
If that sounds like amazing success, it’s important to remember that we didn’t win the competition in 2021. We were one of four finalists, which is a good outcome considering we were all middle and high school students at the time. The remaining finalists were university students, and some had larger teams.

OCDSB Workshop
A presentation to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board! Over 75 people joined us in this hybrid presentation on opioids. We brought realistic case scenarios to small groups, that allowed them to reflect on and experience empathy for individuals struggling with problematic use.
After a full group discussion of findings, we had a presentation from Deborah Donner who gave her talk about the loss of her 20-month old grandchild Amelia to accidental opioid ingestion.

Amelia's Story
A heartbreaking story of a toddler who died of an opioid overdose, as told by her loving Grandmother, Dee. Born June 17, 2017, Amelia was full of joy and potential, but her mother struggled with addiction.
Amelia discovered what she thought to be candy… and died of carfentanil poisoning on February 21, 2019 — before reaching her 2nd Birthday. She was the first of three to perish this way; all from Cambridge, Ontario; all the same age.

25th Annual RBC Spirit of the Capital Award Recipient
Left to Right: Ayla Martin (she/her), Sarina Lyons (she/her), Zara Lyons (she/her), Taliah Lyons (she/her) NOTE: Talk Overdose is a project of Youth4Youth Canada
Take a Stand Award
Sponsored by Carleton University
Youth4Youth Canada (group)
Founded and overseen by female Indigenous youth, Youth4Youth is the umbrella grassroots organization under which youth create and manage projects to improve the lives of youth in Canada through arts, culture and health education. Group members are Taliah Lyons (Carleton University), Zara Lyons (Lycee Claudel), Ayla Martin (Carine Wilson Secondary School), and Sarina Lyons (Lycee Claudel).

Talk Overdose: Year One
We never imagined starting this initiative. We were four girls who met in an Indigenous Youth program. At the urging of our Wasa-Nabin Co-ordiantor, we entered UBC’s 2021 Let’s Talk Overdose youth case competition.
We weren’t chosen as the winner… but we decided to launch our project anyway.
From strangers to partners and friends, here’s a video about our first year together creating and growing #TalkOverdose!
For more videos, visit our YouTube channel.

Life After Chronic Pain - Meet Steve Buell
“I wasn’t really looking to be pain-free, I was just trying to be pain-tolerant. At least that’s what I kept telling myself… Ultimately it didn’t turn out that way.”
When Steve’s chronic pain from degenerative disc disease became too great to manage with regular pain relievers, he reached out to his doctor, and began his journey with opioids. We sent him a list of questions and were grateful for his honesty.

Starlings Workshop
Much gratitude to Agnes Chen (@STARLINGS_CA) for hosting us for a virtual workshop as we work to #endthestigma of opioid use. Great participation from the attendees. Hope to see you again soon.

Jack.org Ontario Summit
Great attendee participation for our first live workshop at Jack.org’s Ontario Summit. Thank you for having us.
“Amazing work! Great seeing your team’s impressive updates :)” – Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Group, University of British Columbia

Brandon School Division
Thank you Brandon, Manitoba School District for hosting us for three sessions of lived-experience presentations (in English and French)!

The Contest that Started It All
Before there was a “Talk Overdose” project, we were just 4 teenage girls entering a competition run by the University of British Columbia’s Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Group. This is the video we entered.
We were the youngest entrants by far and were lucky to be chosen as finalists, but we were not selected as the winner. Undaunted, we decided to launch our project anyway.
Then, we realized we could do even more and we founded Youth4Youth Canada to manage this, and other projects.