Due to overwhelming community interest, the venue for the premiere of the local video series “Critical Condition: The Opioid Crisis in Grande Prairie” has been changed to the Douglas J. Cardinal Performing Arts Centre at the Grande Prairie Regional College.

Tickets are free but attendees are encouraged to pre-register through the Grande Prairie Live Theatre by calling 780-538-1616. Everyone who has previously registered will still have their seats reserved.

The premiere event takes place on Tuesday, February 5, 2019 from 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

The video series raises awareness about the crisis and aims to reduce the stigma surrounding opioid use. It features profiles of individuals with lived experience, family members affected, front-line workers and others impacted by the crisis to provide multiple community perspectives on the complexity of the issue.

A question and answer period with a panel of people with lived experience and front-line workers is scheduled to follow the screening.

The Grande Prairie Community Opioid Response Task Force commissioned the video series with funding from the Government of Alberta through the Opioid Response Public Awareness Grant for Communities.

The Grande Prairie Opioid Response Task Force was launched in December 2017 by Mayor Bill Given in response to the opioid crisis in Grande Prairie. It is composed of social service agencies, health care representatives, RCMP, members of the business community, school district representatives and several municipal government departments. The purpose of the Task Force is to coordinate community efforts in responding to the opioid crisis to develop a response based on local need and resources.

Information provided by the City of Grande Prairie.