Singing Red Bear Foundation hosts second annual Fentanyl Awareness Day Walk in Winnipeg

Joseph Fourre, founder of the Singing Red Bear Foundation, held the second annual Fentanyl Awareness Walk honouring his late son who died of fentanyl poisoning.

“He was out with some people he was working with up north, and one of them bought something that was deemed a recreational drug, ecstasy,” said Fourre.  “But unfortunately, it was laced with a high amount of fentanyl.”

Since that tragic day in April 2023, Fourre has dedicated his life to spreading awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, not only to those struggling with addiction, but to recreational users as well.

“We need to have more awareness,” said Fourre. “From awareness comes prevention, from prevention comes saving lives. Right now, that’s not happening in our province, if you look at the numbers over the last two years, they’ve been record, they aren’t going down.  So that’s one aspect of fentanyl awareness day.”

“You really don’t know if it’s going to happen to you in the way that it does, and it doesn’t matter the way that it happens, it’s the sad fact that it happens,” said And it’s happening so much, and that’s what makes it worrisome.”

Dozens of participants joined the walk, beginning with a drum circle and ceremony in the forks, before walking through Winnipeg’s downtown core, ending up at the legislature building.

“Be aware of it, know that it’s around you, it can be around your friends, your family, it can be around your kids, what’s important to know is that even if you think it’s just trying it once, it’s not a good idea,” said Sonny Hamilton, joseph’s friend and participant of the walk.

“Fentanyl awareness day is about having those tough conversations with your kids, creating that awareness, and like I said earlier, from awareness, to prevention, to saving lives,” said Fourre.