Corey Ranger, RN

President, Harm Reduction Nurses Association

Based in unceded Quw’utsun Territory, Corey Ranger (he/him) is an uninvited settler on these lands. Corey is a registered nurse with extensive experience in street outreach, community, and public health nursing with additional training in project management and quality improvement. Corey has focused primarily on harm reduction since 2013 beginning in Alberta and now in British Columbia. At present, Corey is the Clinical Director at AVI Health & Community Services, President of the Harm Reduction Nurses Association, a board of directors at Canadian Drug Policy Coalition (CDPC), and the North American Representative for the Members' Advisory Council (MAC) with the International Drug Policy Consortium (IDPC).

Dr. Jessica Wilder

Co-Founder, Doctors for Safer Drug Policy

Jessica Wilder is a Family and Addiction Medicine physician and one of the founders of Doctors for Safer Drug Policy, a group advocating for evidence-based, compassionate approaches to the toxic drug crisis. She works clinically with people who use drugs and focuses on integrating harm reduction, trauma-informed care, and public-health principles into everyday medical practice. She is committed to advancing policies that reduce preventable deaths and promote dignity, safety, and autonomy for people who use substances.

Edward Joe, FNHA

Indigenous Harm Reduction Educator

‘Uy’ Skweyul,

My name is Edward Joe. I’m a Cowichan Tribes member through both of my parents, as well as being Ditidaht on my mother’s side. I’m an Indigenous Educator for Harm Reduction for First Nations Health Authority since May 2023. Previously worked for my home nation Cowichan Tribes for 6 years. Worked as a Community Health Liaison for 3 years and 3 years as a Harm Reduction Coordinator/Outreach position. Before that I was in school at Vancouver Island University for Psychology and Neuroscience. 

Huy tseep q’u

Lenae Silva

Co-Founder, Open Heart Collaborative

Lenae Silva is an Indigenous artist, opiate user, activist, mover and shaker. She lives on Vancouver Island with her fiancee and two cats. Lenae works hard to provide outreach and advocacy to people with diverse lived and living experience of mental health challenges, poverty and substance use. She also seeks to enact policy change and education among service providers. Lenae is co-founder of Open Heart Collaborative.