B.C. mother runs across province for safe drug supply

Jessica Michalofsky is nearing the end of her trek across B.C. to bring awareness to the lack of safe drug supply in the province.

"I want them to provide safe drug supply, I want them to stop people dying," Michalofsky says.

On Thursday, Michalofsky began the final leg of her journey on Vancouver Island and will be running from Nanaimo to Victoria over the next several days. She stopped at a safe-supply rally at Maffeo Sutton Park in Nanaimo.

Running 30 kilometres a day, her journey began last month in Nelson, B.C. "That's where my son died. That's where he grew up," she says.

Michalofsky's son Aubrey died last August at the age of 25 from a toxic drug overdose. She believes he would still be alive if he had access to a safe drug supply.

Shortly after his death, she began running daily marathons around the B.C. Ministry of Health building in downtown Victoria to provoke change to the toxic drug response.

She finally met with the province, and she said they agreed that there needs to be more safe supply.

"But they couldn't tell me why it wasn't being rolled out," Michalofsky adds.

"B.C. implemented a safer supply program in March 2020 – the first and only province in Canada to do this," the Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions said in a statement to CTV News.

Jessica Michalofsky's son Aubrey, who died recently in B.C. due to toxic drug poisoning, is shown in this photograph.

"The province has been working with health-care providers to monitor the program and adjust where needed."

Michalofsky wonders where people can access this safe supply. "If it's so available why are people dying more than ever?"

She will be in Duncan for another rally on Friday at the Station Street Commons from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

On Sunday, she will finish her journey at the B.C. legislature at 1 p.m. where there will be guest speakers including Lisa Lapointe, the province’s chief coroner.

Michalofsky will be walking the last kilometre from the B.C. Ministry of Health building on Blanshard Street to the legislature so that everyone can join.