Unsilencing Stories

Episode 24: Sydnee Traska in Cranbrook, B.C. Remembers her Uncle

March 25, 2023 Unsilencing Stories
Unsilencing Stories
Episode 24: Sydnee Traska in Cranbrook, B.C. Remembers her Uncle
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode, you will hear Clinton Gravelle interviewing Sydnee Traska in Cranbrook, B.C. about her uncle who experienced a fatal overdose. 

Jenna Keeble 00:00

Unsilencing Stories is a podcast that reflects the voices of people in small towns and communities in Canada, who have lost loved ones to the toxic drug supply crisis. Since 2016. More than 30,000 people have died from fatal overdoses in Canada and that number continues to climb. The risk in smaller towns and communities is much higher than urban areas because of a lack of harm reduction services, and stigma against substance use and people who use drugs. This podcast is part of a community based participatory research project facilitated by Aaron Goodman, Ph.D., a faculty member at Kwantlen Polytechnic University in Surrey, B.C., along with students Jenna Keeble and Ashley Pocrnich. 

The aim was to assist collaborators in publicly memorializing their loved ones and expressing grief as well as challenging silences imposed by dominant media organizations and stigma from society against substance use and people who use drugs. We hope these nuanced stories make it clear why the government needs to be doing more to prevent further deaths. Please note this podcast contains information about overdose death, grief and trauma that may be distressing to listen to. In this episode, you'll hear Clinton Gravelle interviewing Sydnee Traska in Cranbrook, B.C. about Sydnee's uncle who experienced a fatal overdose.

 

Clinton 01:13

What's your first and last name?

 

Sydnee 01:15

Sydnee Traska. 

 

Clinton 01:17

Where do you live?

 

Sydnee 01:18

In Cranbrook.

 

Clinton 01:19

Is there one person you’d like to speak about that died from an overdose? 

 

Sydnee 01:22

My uncle passed away from an overdose, he lived in Cranbrook. He shared the same birthday as me. 

 

Clinton 01:29

What's your most vivid memory of him?

 

Sydnee 01:33

His laugh and his smile.

 

Clinton 01:35

What did he mean to you?

 

Sydnee 01:36

He meant a lot. 

 

Clinton 01:38

Can you talk about his death?

 

Sydnee 01:41

No, it's okay. It's okay. He died in his shop up at his house. His daughter OD'ed at the same time, but she didn't die.

 

Clinton 01:55

What would you ask him if he were here? 

 

Sydnee 01:58

If he would be satisfied with how he lives his life when he was here.

 

Clinton 02:03

What do you miss most about him?

 

Sydnee 02:07

That he was, he was Hazel's favorite my daughter's favorite uncle, and they got along good.

 

Clinton 02:15

How do you think he would like to be remembered?

 

Sydnee 02:20

Happily, and good memories.

 

Clinton 02:22

What are some of the biggest obstacles he overcame in life?

 

Sydnee 02:27

He bought The Sammy and always wanted to run a business and didn't really get to continue to and finish his dream, but he made it come true, I guess. I don't know.

 

Clinton 02:39

Do you guys have any conflict where you guys disagreed or fought over?

 

Sydnee 02:45

No, mot necessarily. He was pretty, he's a pretty amazing guy. We shared the same birthday so.

 

Clinton 02:54

What about him makes you smile? 

 

Sydnee 02:57

The giant smile that he has and his giant beard. He looks scary, but when he smiled, it was nice. 

 

Clinton 03:05

What was your relationship like?

 

Sydnee 03:06

It was a good relationship. Not like extremely close but close. What did he look like? Tall? My size. I think he was shorter than me. Bald head, tattoos, and big goatee and perfect teeth. 

 

Clinton 03:27

Do you remember any of the jokes he used to tell?

 

Sydnee 03:31

He wouldn't tell jokes he would, he would just pick on everyone and then he'd say something and sit there and be like, “Wait for it. Wait for it” and then like when the person got it, he'd go, “Hah! There you go!".

 

Clinton 03:44

Do you have any stories you want to share about him?

 

Sydnee 03:48

We'd always go for family dinner at his places, we still do, even though he's not here. He lived his best life with his kids and stuff, always made sure everyone had a smile on their face.

 

Clinton 04:01

What were his hopes and dreams for the future?

 

Sydnee 04:03

To be grandpa, which he was, he is, and his kids are now having more kids. He'd be proud of that. Just to make the best of it and make his kids happy. He's pretty open, I guess. I don't know. I think most people know more things about him than I do.

 

Clinton 04:26

How are you different than we were before you lost him?

 

Sydnee 04:30

Sad. It's really, life's different without him here. It's depressing not seeing him every day

 

Clinton 04:38

Do you have any traditions to honour him?

 

Sydnee 04:42

No, we didn't. We celebrate his birthday and stuff. It's the same day as mine. Some kind of stuff to celebrate it happily. Probably won't ever be the same

 

Clinton 04:52

What has helped you the most in your grief?

 

Sydnee 04:55

Nothing really helps, just forgetting about it and trying to cover it up with shifts. 

 

Clinton 05:04

What are the hardest times? 

 

Sydnee 05:06

Every day seeing the bar that he bought and seeing my family, his kids and brings back memories of when he was here.

 

Clinton 05:16

How would you describe the deceased?

 

Sydnee 05:18

An amazing human being. 

 

Clinton 05:19

What's your favourite memory of him?

 

Sydnee 05:21

When he met Hazel and would always like run up to her and he would tickle her with his beard, and she just laughed so hard

 

Clinton 05:29

Did they have a nickname for you?

 

Sydnee 05:32

Syd or shithead

 

Clinton 05:34

Is there a particular lesson you learn from the deceased?

 

Sydnee 05:38

Not to take things so seriously and everything so seriously and just live in the moment and not in the past. 

 

Clinton 05:46

How long did you now the deceased?

 

Sydnee 05:48

My whole life

 

Clinton 05:51

What do you think he valued most in his life?

 

Sydnee 05:54

His kids, his family

 

Clinton 05:57

What words would you use to describe his character?

 

Sydnee 06:01

An ass but not an ass, a humorous person

 

Clinton 06:13

How would you describe the deceased personality?

 

Sydnee 06:16

Wild. 

 

Clinton 06:16

What is your earliest memory of this person?

 

Sydnee 06:20

When I was six, I think I remember riding in his truck with all my cousins. When my uncle Dwayne was still alive, too.

 

Clinton 06:30

When do you remember him to be most joyful?

 

Sydnee 06:35

When he was sitting in his office at his bar bossing everyone around. Not really bossing everyone around just making them work.

 

Clinton 06:45

Was there a time when he or she was embarrassed?

 

Sydnee 06:47

When he picked on us and we pick right back on him, and he'd get embarrassed for sure.

 

Clinton 06:47

What was the deceased laugh like?

Sydnee 06:58

Oh gosh, the funniest laugh in the world. I don't even know, it sounded like a Santa Claus laugh just like, "Ho Ho Ho". My cousin has the exact same laugh as him.

 

Clinton 07:10

Was he chronically late or early?

 

Sydnee 07:13

He was, he ran on his own time. So, he could be late, he could be early, he can show, he wouldn't show, beyond his time.

 

Clinton 07:24

Do you have any funny stories?

 

Sydnee 07:28

Some family dinners because he would be working on the bar so much. He used to be so tired that he'd fall asleep slowly eating dinner, he fell asleep eating corn on the cob the one time and then the sofa

 

Clinton 07:42

Were there any major changes to the deceased life that affected them in big ways?

 

Sydnee 07:48

Buying his house Yeah. It affected him in a good way.

 

Clinton 07:52

If he could drop by and visit tomorrow, what would you be ideal day spent together look like?

 

Sydnee 08:00

Watching him walk back and forth, working in his shop and back and doing stuff that he always did and but the one thing he always, the keys on his pants would always jingle so you hear him from a mile away.

 

Clinton 08:18

Did he wear a piece clothing or something else the deceased wore that you found characteristic of them?

 

Sydnee 08:26

Yeah, his old man slippers. Like loafers and I always make fun of him, and he would get mad. 

 

Clinton 08:33

Did he or she have a signature saying?

 

Sydnee 08:37

Squirrel, that's it.

 

Clinton 08:39

How did he impact your life?

 

Sydnee 08:42

He made a good impact on my life, made me look at life in a different way, in a good way. 

 

Clinton 08:49

How will you honor his memory?

 

Sydnee 08:51

Speaking about him out loud, openly with people

 

Clinton 08:56

What do you wish you had said to him before he died?

 

Sydnee 09:00

That I loved him face to face.

 

Jenna Keeble 09:03

That brings us to the end of this episode of the Unsilencing Stories podcast. To listen to more interviews in the series, please go to www.unsilencingstories.com, and if you'd like to share your thoughts on the episode, message us at unsilencingstories@gmail.com. Thank you so much for listening and please share the project with other people you know.