This week Darcy and I settle in for a conversation about the Voices in Recovery Podcast and where we are headed in the near future. It's exciting and nerve racking at the same time. Due to changes in the Community Wise building, Freedom's Path Recovery Society will be moving forward looking for space with Stonewall Recovery Centre, Black Pride YYC and others whom share our values. We are beginning to share our podcast on Patrion as well moving forward into the unknown. Thank you all for your con...
Aug 06, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 307
I encourage all of our listeners and supporters to take a moment of silence wherever you might be today. This week we lost a beautiful human and a deeply compassionate activist, Batool. She was one of the first people to welcome me and many others to the Palestinian movement - her kindness and beauty of spirit will live on in all of us who knew her ❤️️ One of my favorite humans on planet earth, Michelle Robinson, stopped by to kick off season 8 of the Voices in Recovery Podcast. We talk about ra...
Jul 30, 2025•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 306
This week Darcy and I examine the constant racism within law enforcement and the government as G7 approaches us all. We examine the trauma of disconnecting from systems once becoming a part of them. The doubt, fear, confusion, and uncertainty of resisting the systems in power based on history. We have been shown time and time again what happens when people stand up against government powers and the henchmen they employ to protect THEIR interests only. I share about my own struggles with knowing ...
Jun 04, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 305
This week's guest, Agnes, stops by and shares a bit of their journey and how it led them to starting Starlings Community. She was a nurse working within the broken system and as her life journey progressed she knew she needed to move into a different compassionate place to be of use to other humans. Thank you Agnes, we appreciate you and all that you do.
May 14, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 304
This week our guest, Sonny stops by with his husband, Wes and we hear about their individual and sometimes collective journeys together. They are a part of the Gay Druze Community, which has members from all over the world. We talk about shedding the different, and similar dogmas we were hampered with from childhood. As we become more and more ourselves, dogma often simply slides off of us. Other times there is a need for directed effort to rid ourselves of the consequences of said dogmas. Thank...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 303
Since the recording of this episode, myself and other folks involved in the pro Palestine, end the Genocide movement have been approached by members of police intelligence officers from both the Calgary Police Service and the RCMP. They've approached most of us under the guise of "building community". Due to the RCMP's continued violence against indigenous people of Canada and the world, I refused to speak with them. If you're wondering whether you have to speak with them, you do not. No matter ...
Apr 30, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 302
This week, Lia stops by and shares her incredible journey as a young, 14 year old entering into the volatile world of politics. We talk about her discovery of alcohol as a coping mechanism. She talks about her understanding of alcohol as a problematic part of her and her partner's life a few months into their collective journey years ago. She talks about living life and continuing to grown and evolve. Thank you for taking the time Lia, we appreciate you.
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 301
This week Darcy and I sit down to chat about the complicated task of maintaining empathy in a world where it's seen and treated as a weakness and a defect. We talk about government tactics to destroy morale, connectivity, and solidarity of protestors. The obvious and unapologetic imbalance in police response to Black, Indigenous and People of Color protesting in our cities. The audacity of local law enforcement as we approach the one year anniversary of the attack by police on peaceful protestor...
Apr 16, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 300
This week, Darcy and I sit down and chat about millennial scoop and the continued use of the child welfare system to enforce racist and colonial control over indigenous peoples of turtle Island. We talk about the foster care system which continues the policy of "killing the indigenous" within every indigenous child in order to assimilate them to colonial kkkanada. We also discuss the continued genocide in Palestine, Congo, Syria, etc. We talk about forced incarceration in Alberta, which is dress...
Apr 09, 2025•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 299
This week's guest, Steve from Stonewall Recovery Centre here in Calgary stops by and shares portions of his journey. He talks about not only his life in active addiction, but through his coming out as a queer man in a fuller recovery for himself. I won't share too much, we have a great conversation and it is always lovely sitting down with members of the queer community We are full of love for Steve and of course Stonewall Recovery Centre as the first 2SLGBTQi+ treatment centre in Canada. We at ...
Apr 02, 2025•2 hr 40 min•Ep. 298
This week artist, frontline worker, activist, and advocate; Nikk Goodswimmer also known as PunkIndigenous (they/she 2S) is Stoney Nakota and Cree from Treaty 8 Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation. They share their incredible, painful and harrowing journey starting with the millennial scoop of 2000's. Where the federal government continued its awful practice of removing indigenous children from their families. Now it isn't to send away to residential schools, but into the very same system under the guise o...
Mar 26, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 297
This week's guest, Kyle, stops by and shares his journey through addiction into recovery. Kyle essentially grew up working in the restaurant and bar industry while working and studying finance. There were times when working in the bar industry when his alcoholism simply took over after multiple times of sobriety. Kyle's story is an illustration of how what once was fun and exciting can quickly turn into darkness. I won't spoil it for you, thank you Kyle!
Mar 19, 2025•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 296
This week my friend and all around amazing human, Michelle Robinson stops by and we discuss the very real, ongoing world of racism - not only policing. We discuss how other government bodies police Black, Indigenous, People of Color, the unhoused, identifiable queer folkx, and those engaged in active drug use. We examine a recent altercation that I had with police, as a witness to them "dealing" with a victim of serious crime. We also talk about many different ways privilege, nepotism, and my ow...
Feb 06, 2025•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 295
This week's guest, Aidan stops by and shares about his life. He talks about the violence he experienced when the Calgary police attacked and assaulted peaceful protestors and students May 9th, 2024. We are sharing some of the photos of his injuries taken directly after being released. We talk about his life and the journey which brought him to activism. Thank you Aidan, don't ever stop standing up for what's right.
Jan 08, 2025•2 hr 30 min•Ep. 294
Welp, 2024 is over and now what... 2025!? Darcy and I try to turn our frowns upside down with a year end episode. We do talk about loss and the awfulness of some humans in our world. We also talk about something neither of us have had in plenty this last year. Hope. Opportunity to work harder on ourselves so that we can be of more use to others in our daily lives. Whomever we may encounter. Happy new year, take good care ❤️ Thank you for all of the support and love
Jan 01, 2025•2 hr 9 min•Ep. 293
This week, Jasmine stops by to share their journey into and within their life of recovery. She could not imagine a life without drinking and using, as that was her modelling as a child. She believes that her life would always be like the lives of her family. Her mother was a victim of the 60's scoop and we learn that every step the government took to eradicate her family, led her to recovery. She has been sober for 6 years and works hard everyday to be of use to other humans. Thank you Jasmine, ...
Dec 18, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 292
This week Darcy and I sit down to approach our emotions and thoughts about so many things happening within and without us. We recognize that, as we talked from our point of privilege; genocide is happening across our planet. Colonial powers attempt to tighten their grips in several countries not their own. Trans Rights are being taken away in private, silenced government rooms. Local activists are being harassed by police daily. Our government with the help of state financed thugs, is making and...
Dec 12, 2024•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 291
This week's guest, Kenna Burima stops by and shares her incredible journey into advocacy and activism using her art and creative energy. I won't try and tell you that we have a linear conversation because neither of us are linear thinkers. I think she is a bundle of love and positive, healing energy. After sitting and chatting with Kenna, I also recognize someone who has survived and is trying to turn that pain into love for herself and others. There's something about humans trying to change the...
Nov 20, 2024•2 hr 20 min•Ep. 290
This week, Karla Marx stops by and shares her beautiful journey. She has been involved in activism for about ten years and is a beautiful, talented performer. An hour with Karla could never do them justice, as you will find out when you listen. I appreciate your work in our community and your continued pursuit of equality for all humans. We are incredibly lucky to have you out here standing up for yourself and others. Recognizing that we can never be perfect, but being willing to grow and change...
Nov 13, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 289
This week's guest, Abir, stops by and shares her incredible journey through this life. She shares her family's journey from the Middle East in the 90's when Islamophobia and xenophobia was really hitting its stride across the west and even the east. We talk about the Canadian dream and the emptiness felt when folks realized they traded one form of militant idealism to another. Canada is something else and we examine some of the niceties presented before arrival to the stolen lands where we now r...
Nov 06, 2024•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 287
This week, Jon stops by and shares about his life. We talk about many parts of his life and look at the current situation of our fellow suffering humans across the planet. That is how we met in fact, gathering to support folks, who are demonized in the western media. This of course allows us to explore and condemn the history of racism, the Crown and the Canadian government have created and perpetuated within the very system they call humanitarian. We discuss the Canadian government's complicity...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 288
This week's guest and one of our favorite humans ever, Taylor Dumais stops by and shares about their incredible journey. She is the president of Sacred Turtle Women's Healing Centre https://www.facebook.com/share/NWeY4YPqUvQVB3xD/ and is a part of the great, growing movement across Turtle Island returning us to the guidance of grandmothers. Thank you for sharing your light with us, we appreciate you so much.
Oct 23, 2024•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 286
This week, Darcy and I sit together and talk about turning 50 and the continued, escalating genocide against Palestinians and so many others in our world, as I write this. We share about grief, loss, change, aging, police violence, racism and our provincial government, and the general feeling that everyone is on simmer and soon there'll be some kind of catastrophic event. We as usual, just run wild on some topics and in that process we move through different stages of our lives... Thank you all ...
Oct 16, 2024•2 hr 10 min•Ep. 285
This week's guest, Mike, comes to us from a SMART Recovery perspective and i found it refreshing. Chatting with him about recovery, evolutionary biology, evolutionary psychology, etc gave my brain an incredible boost of really nice chemicals as I learned quite a lot - just enough to know that I really know nothing. I hope it does the same for all of you. Mike explains some of the finer points of SMART Recovery and how he's found it working daily in his life. Thank you sir! I'll get reading!...
Oct 09, 2024•1 hr 36 min•Ep. 284
This week our friend, Wesam from Justice for Palestinians Calgary stops by with a UofC student to share about continued police brutality, violence, and ongoing bullying. We talk about May 9th, 2024 when the Calgary police escalated and attacked unarmed students and protestors at the University of Calgary. We talked about how Edmonton police doubled down on the violence and brutality May 11th at the University of Alberta. Wesam and friend, share the details as to what happened then and what has b...
Sep 25, 2024•2 hr 12 min•Ep. 283
This week, our friend, Peter, returns and shares about the last few very tumultuous years in recovery - since covid. He shared about how deeply his connections have shifted and adjusted through medical distress, emotional upheaval, and incredible learning. I appreciate being able to sit down and talk about the sometimes debilitating road to happy destiny. Talking about recovery is one thing, living it is another. Thank you Peter
Sep 11, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 282
This week, Aline stops by and shares their incredible journey through early trauma, continued trauma, into addiction, and today where she's living a life in recovery. Her openness and vulnerability are a sign of her courage moving forward through recovery. She tries to utilize her journey to inspire and encourage others. Thank you Aline, we appreciate you.
Sep 04, 2024•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 281
This week, I sit down with my close friends Michelle and Darcy Robinson. We talk about twenty years of sobriety, anti racism work, racism, literature, and the huge concept of cancelling people. I have said this before and I am sure that I will say it again at some point; it always comes back to how many people did not cancel me when I was living like a man with no relations and the result has been my continued survival and continued education. The support by other humans is not only essential, b...
Aug 28, 2024•2 hr 4 min•Ep. 280
This week, Pulkit and Dhaniket stop by and literally blow our collective minds. The world feels so ugly these days - it made sense to bring them on the podcast because these fellows are trying to inject hope wherever they can. I am going to let them speak for themselves, as throughout the episode I find myself in awe of what they're doing and are trying to do. We talked about some of the harsh things going on and we all realized that in so many countries, so many people are in danger every minut...
Aug 07, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 279
This week, we share part two of Karrie-Lynn's story. This week we dive deeper into the process of their transition. I open up about my own queerness and we have a wonderful conversation. You are a gift to our world - thank you for coming back on.
Aug 01, 2024•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 278
