SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The Tree of Peace Friendship Centre aims to help people battle their addictions, but an additional - and almost more important part of their mission - is to prevent addiction altogether, which it plans to do by raising awareness this November.

"Addiction is a very progressive disease, and if you don't start you don't have to deal with it," said Byrne Richards, a drug counsellor at the Tree of Peace.

As part of National Addictions Awareness Week (NAAW), the organization is putting together many activities in an effort to spread awareness around the community.

Richards wants to see Yellowknifers show their support for battling the scourge of addiction by attending a "sober walk" around Yellowknife's downtown core during lunch hour on Monday, Nov. 16.

Richards said he expects 300 people to show up, but hopes to have around 400 or 500 people there.

"This is a way for the community to participate in a national event," said Richards, who added that a large turnout could set the bar for the rest of Canada.

"To take part in such a thing is pretty awesome," he said.

After the march, people are invited back to the Tree of Peace - located on 5011 51 Street - for pizza, pop, and hot dogs.

Addictions week is Nov. 15 to 21, and most of the Tree of Peace's activities will take place on the latter three days.

Some other items on the agenda are a community addictions awareness forum in the evening on Nov. 16, and visits from the Odd Squad to schools and groups around the community, as well as the youth and adult jails.

"The odd squad are a group of Vancouver police officers who, for lack of a better term, were really tired of seeing the pain of the people who go through the process of addiction," said Richards.

"They see it through a different perspective than other people see it."

The Odd Squad have been making documentaries on the drug problem on Vancouver's downtown eastside, as well as gang violence and other criminal activity, in an attempt to show people what the consequences are of those types of lifestyles.

Richards said events like this one really help the cause through education.

"If we provide accurate information, instead of scare tactics, to the inquisitive youth, we are able to begin dialogue and give them information they don't have."