"The images are the explanation. It's not about words; it's about imagery. It is the most powerful thing in the world."
That's Vancouver photojournalist Jackie Dives on her collection of images in her latest exhibit, Of Course This Hurts, launching on March 16 in the Downtown Eastside.
The advocate has spent over a decade photographing the DTES, building deep relationships with the community to document the toxic drug supply crisis that has claimed over 49,100 lives since Canada declared it a public health emergency in 2016.
Dives uses her work to highlight what she calls "extreme governmental neglect" in the overdose crisis similar to the AIDS epidemic. "I think there needs to be a photographic record. It needs to be accurate and not rely on problematic tropes," she tells V.I.A.
"The story of the overdose crisis goes far beyond people slumped over on the sidewalk; it’s a story of unrelenting commitment, unconditional love, self-sacrifice, perpetual grief, and the brutality that occurs when unrealistic ideals are more heavily weighted than human health and dignity."
Dives works "within the framework of explicit consent," spending months, if not years, building relationships with the people she photographs. Many of the images are taken of people in hospital beds or at cremations - places she wouldn't have access to if she hadn't built a solid foundation of trust.
"She allowed me in on the worst day of her life"
However, there are some rare exceptions to the rule. Dives said she met with Traci Letts in early 2024 to ask about photographing her with her son Mike. He agreed to it, which she notes was a "very vulnerable thing to do."
"Before we had a chance to photograph him, he died [from an accidental drug overdose]. It took me a lot of courage to text her and ask to bring my camera to photograph her. She allowed me in on the worst day of her life," Dives says.
Mike was 31.
Letts will be featured in Dives' exhibit in several photos, including one where she picked out clothes for Mike to wear during his cremation.
Other photos include images of Jeremy Kalicum, who is a scientist with a Master of Public Health and may face life imprisonment for operating the Drug User Liberation Front compassion clubs in Vancouver. Overdose prevention site worker Trey Helten, who has dedicated his life to caring for people in the DTES community, also appears in some images.
Dives has also lost a loved one to the toxic drug supply crisis. Her father died of an accidental overdose in 2017 and Dives says his death created a sense of urgency in her work.
"It became essential to create in order to grieve and to survive that grief."
She adds that her father "was more than just a drug user."
"It is pretty cliché but it's true. My dad was a mechanic, a carpenter, and an excellent friend. He loved animals and he was also a drug user," she explains.
"This is my love letter to the community"
The photojournalist isn't sure her photographs will influence government policy, but she believes they emphasize the importance of a historical record. She also hopes to encourage people suffering to keep going through acknowledgement in photographic form.
"The overdose crisis is the result of government failure. This exhibition is a record of people preserving despite the government giving up on them," she asserts.
"We see horrific imagery constantly. The government isn't doing anything."
Dives feels uncomfortable about being "spotlighted" and wants the focus to remain on her work and people in the DTES who continue to fight. She describes them as "heroes."
"This is my love letter to the community. I want them to know that I see them doing the work against all odds. That I love them."
Jackie Dives: Of Course This Hurts Exhibition runs from Sunday, March 16 through Wednesday, March 26 at Gallery 881 at 881 East Hastings St.
