Unsilencing Stories

Episode 29: Cameron Gauthier in Cranbrook, B.C. Remembers his Uncle

March 25, 2023 Unsilencing Stories
Unsilencing Stories
Episode 29: Cameron Gauthier in Cranbrook, B.C. Remembers his Uncle
Show Notes Transcript

In this episode, you will hear Cameron Westcott interviewing Cameron Gauthier in Cranbrook B.C. about Gauthier's uncle who experienced a fatal opioid 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 Cameron Wescott interview and Cameron Gauthier in Cranbrook, B.C. Cameron Gauthier memorializes his uncle who experienced a fatal opioid overdose. 

 

Cameron W 01:15

What was your best memory of your uncle?

 

Cameron G 01:16

Cooking chicken and playing horseshoes to be honest with you. We cooked an awesome barbecue chicken. We used to go over there near my family, my parents and us. We used to go to my uncle's house and get together and have a barbecue and play horseshoe. The parents would play remotely and stuff like that. And it was just super so much fun. All those kids get together and go across the street to the ravine and stuff like that. There was an owl that that really stuck out to me there was a great horned owl that used to sit up in the tree to talk to the walk path right beside his house. But those types of times, that's what really sticks out to me the most.

 

Cameron W 02:10

Well, that's cool. You answered about five or six or seven different questions and not so that's a bonus. Did you have any favorite jokes that you used to tell?

 

Cameron G 02:20

Not really no, no, no. No, usually laughed at everything together.

 

Cameron W 02:27

Is there something about your uncle that you think no one else knows?

 

Cameron G 02:33

Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure there's something about my uncle that nobody else knows. He used to love his cars, fast cars, and smoke his dope. I guess I can share it because I've learned the experience myself. He had a little workshop at his place. I used to always wonder what the guys were doing. My uncle and my dad and my other uncle and stuff. He's still, he's like just hibernating in there and I realized later in life, they were smoking marijuana and I always thought that it was quite something. I don't know where I'm going with this story. 

 

Cameron W 03:17

They've been smoking marijuana since Jesus Christ was around.

 

Cameron G 03:21

Oh, man, he loved it. I don't know what it was. But he had the best.

 

Cameron W 03:35

What are the hardest times without him?

 

Cameron G 03:39

He probably be here right now. He's walking me through it, and I think that's probably the problem that I'm having here for backup, and I don't have anybody to walk with me through these times.

 

Cameron W 03:56

You and me both buddy. You and me both. What did you call them? Any nicknames or Terms of Endearment

 

Cameron G 04:05

He does, I just call him Uncle D. l don' know man, that's all I'd ever call him. He went by Daniel, that was his middle name. Just like mine is Daniel as well. So, that's my middle name.

 

Cameron W 04:21

What was your uncle's favorite colour?

 

Cameron G 04:24

Blue, it would have to be blue. He always wore he was always like his vehicles were always usually light colours, so he liked white a lot, as well.

 

Cameron W 04:37

How did how did your uncle impact your life?

 

Cameron G 04:41

Oh man, they asked questions about work. I'd listen to his stories and everything. He used to be a crane operator. He used to work with my grandfather. That's something I really enjoyed talking with him about that was probably one of my favorite topics with him. I think did you ask me what he did he do for a living or something?

 

Cameron W 05:08

Nope but that could be the next question. What did your uncle do for a living? 

 

Cameron G 05:12

He was a crane operator. 

 

Cameron G 05:17

Great. Did you work at the mines?

 

Cameron G 05:19

Oh no, more like skyscraper high rise kind of cranes. So, probably building forms for new buildings and stuff like that. He'd used to always talk about the weight and the balance with the IBM's that he'd have to be placing in and the salt tubs they used to feed them workers because he's sweat a lot, all that kind of stuff. It just taught me a lot.

 

Cameron W 05:54

Well, he was crane operator, but yeah, walking seal?

 

Cameron G 06:01

He never was up there. He was in the machine himself.

 

Cameron W 06:05

Do you have any funny stories about the times you spent together?

 

Cameron G 06:10

Just the day when I smacked my Uncle Mac, his brother, in Danny's room because he was being rude, and it broke my mom, and it really got me because I'm very close to my mom. He just straight up called her one few too many times and I've had enough, and I drove him on, and he wiped the floor with me, to be honest. He laid a licking on me, but I couldn't handle him doing that to my mom. Anyways, we laughed about it after, me and my uncle.

 

Cameron W 06:56

You've probably heard a little bit of credit given him a snack because he already knew before you did it, you're going to get your butt handed to you. 

 

Cameron G 07:05

That's exactly the point.

 

Jenna Keeble 07:08

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.