New figures have been released that show the number of deaths on the rise in Ontario from opioids and alcohol.  The Office of the Chief Coroner in Toronto indicates that 162 people died from a Fentanyl overdose last year. That is a 6% increase from the previous year.

The statistics show a 9.8% increase in the number of opioid plus alcohol toxicity deaths to 156, compared to 142 in 2014. These numbers come just the day before Ottawa Recovery Day, a celebration of success in the struggle against addition. Few among us have probably heard about “Recovery Day Ottawa” but the vast majority of us know someone struggling with substance abuse.  This day is actually a chance to say to them “We care,” according to the chair of the event, Gord Garner.

“Somewhere along the way, instead of lighting up doorways, I darkened them,” says Garner, as he shares with CTV his life-long struggle with addiction and his recovery.

Garner is doing what he can to change stereotypes and put a different face, his own, to this chronic health issue affecting 1 in 6 of us.  Garner used to be the vice-president of a company.

“I used to look at the world economy and figure out where carbon steel was going to be in a couple of months, for millions of dollars,” he says, “I was good at it.”

After decades of addiction, Garner is now an addictions counsellor and chair of Recovery Day Ottawa, a city hall event this Saturday to support those still struggling.

“It's about reframing the conversation so that we see people, and we see this as an illness and a condition that nobody would choose to have.”

Rob Boyd runs Oasis, a harm-reduction based program at the Sandy Hill Community Health Centre, which is supporting Recovery Day Ottawa.

“It’s an opportunity to invite people to say we care about you and want you to be well,” says Boyd.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse (CCSA) says with six  million Canadians having a substance use disorder,  Canada's investment in treatment needs to ramp up. 

“Investment really that would parallel the types of investment we see with cancer or other chronic health issues that plague society,” says Meredith Porter with the CCSA.

The CCSA says that as of 2013, 22% of Canadians met the criteria for a substance use disorder.  Porter says substance abuse has to be seen as treatable and preventable.

 After multiple relapses, Garner has come a long way in his journey, from living in a shed or even in the woods, to now counselling others like him, even joking about his journey.

“An emotional moment,” recalls Garner, “a friend of mine emailed me and said “I won't be home when you get to my house but the door's open so come on in.” That same door used to get bolted from the inside when I was outside,” laughs Garner.

Recovery Day Ottawa starts at 11:00 tomorrow at city hall.  Everyone is invited to come out and celebrate. Details can be found at http://www.recoverydayottawa.ca/