The Blue Hat Memorial Project, an art installation showcased in front of city hall from Aug. 26 to 31, aims to spark conversations about the deaths of men and boys in the B.C. opioid crisis.

The installation is designed by Coun. Ron Kerr. Kerr, who is also an artist.

A separate memorial focusing on the 189 people who have lost their lives to the opioid crisis since 2016 will be included. These people are represented by purple and white flags.

According to a press release on Aug. 23, the display includes 12,000 blue flags representing the current number of deaths of men and boys in B.C. since 2016 due to unregulated drugs. It represents 80 per cent of the 15,000 deaths in B.C. 

"Every life lost to the opioid crisis is a tragedy, and we as a council will continue to do what we can to get the support our community needs to address this crisis head-on," said Mayor Kermit Dahl. "Council has made a healthy and safe community a priority and in support of this. We delivered temporary housing units with support services to the community, opened countless warming centres on the coldest nights of the year, and have contributed city-owned land toward the construction of second-stage housing and treatment facilities. The Blue Hat Memorial Project furthers this work by continuing the conversation and reminding us of the work we still must do."

The memorial was to be in place until Aug. 31, International Overdose Awareness Day.