In Loving Memory of Zoey James (she/her) by Dragon Teodorovici (they/them), Zoey’s life partner/best friend
Zoey and I moved together to Salt Spring in 2019. She was a beautiful, quiet force in this community — a proud Trans Woman who was kind, immensely funny, with an enormous heart, and full of so much strength. She worked at the Country Grocer bakery and later at the Bottle Depot for quite a while, where she became a familiar face to many as someone cheerful, eager to help, and a friendly welcoming presence. She brough so much light to the people she met & touched even more people in the community with her beautiful energy than I even realized, until the many messages I received after her passing.
I, Dragon, worked at the Bottle Depot myself & then TJ Beans before heading out to the world of tree planting. Zoey and I made a life together here — a life full of love, struggle, dreams, and found a place where we both felt free to be our authentic selves and truly find a ‘home’. She had stated many times that Salt Spring to her was finally where she felt the most at home & was ‘the most beautiful place in the world’. Her sudden passing has left a hole in my heart and in the fabric of this island community.
On November 22, 2024, Zoey’s life ended too soon after she took what she thought was a small amount of heroin — unaware that it was laced with fentanyl. She didn’t know. The toxicology report confirmed: her death was fentanyl poisoning — part of the opioid epidemic that continues to kill people who never thought they were at risk. A tragedy that speaks to the deadly reality of the opioid epidemic that continues to devastate lives across our communities.
At the time of her death, Zoey had been staying temporarily across the road from the Bottle Depot — at the emergency shelter run by Island Community Services (ICS). She was doing what many strong and resilient people are forced to do amidst a housing crisis: adapting, surviving, despite unstable shelter options & as well as dealing with her chronic illness. That shouldn’t have to be something we stigmatize. Staying in a bunk bed at a shelter is a circumstance — not a definition. Zoey was a strong, determined woman, with many goals for herself & even when having little to nothing for herself was the first one to share what she could with those around her — and like too many others, caught in a system that doesn’t provide enough real options.
This should not have happened.
She spent a week or so in hospital as the doctors ran multiple types of tests but she was pronounced brain dead on November 27, 2024 and was taken for organ donation December 1st.. Her care for other people continued even after her death to save the lives of 5 other people. But that week in between, existing in the state of the unknown was hell.
We also want to name a very painful truth: no one from the shelter contacted Zoey’s family or me — not when she was found, not in the hours or days after her death. There was no system of support from shelter staff, no immediate communication. There should be systems in place so that when something like this happens, families aren’t left in the dark. People need support, not silence. That kind of silence is inexcusable, and it is part of what we want to change moving forward.
This is not just a story of addiction; this is a story about the opioid epidemic. It’s a story about housing insecurity, grief, and the urgent need for accountability, dignity, and love in how we care for people — especially in moments of crisis.
We are raising funds to help cover:
• My travel back to Salt Spring Island in order to sort through and handle Zoey’s personal belongings
• Organize a memorial for Zoey — something that really reflects who she was in the way that she had expressed she wanted in the event of her passing
• Costs associated with managing Zoey’s personal belongings & getting them sent to her mother in Alberta, anything else that needs to be done
• Support our ongoing effort to ask questions and get clarity about what happened to her that night and change to how shelters and communities support people in need
Zoey’s mom and I are asking: if anyone has any information, please reach out. We just want a fuller picture — not blame — just truth and closure.
Why This Matters
Zoey’s story isn’t just about one tragic moment. It’s about a housing crisis, a poisoned drug supply, and the way people get written off too easily when they’re vulnerable. She deserved better. Everyone does.
If you’ve ever loved someone who struggled — or if you’ve ever felt like the system isn’t set up to catch you when you fall — please stand with us. Help us honour Zoey, get answers, and shine a light on what’s broken.
Every dollar raised helps not only honor Zoey’s life but supports the fight for justice, safety, and human dignity for others still navigating these broken systems.
With deep thanks and love,
On behalf of Zoey’s family and friends
Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dragon Teodorovici (they/them)
