Voices In Recovery Podcast

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 continued support.

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 racism because it exists and is the daily reality in the worlds we live. Michelle explains pervasive racism entwined in every layer of our modern society and which is perpetrated against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color everyday. What might appear to be increased "crime prevention" within gentrified areas of any city could be something quite different - another example of "city organizations(law enforcement)", "business associations" and "communities" softly policing Black, Indigenous, and People of Color. The indoctrination into the mindset of white supremacy plays out daily in these incredibly harmful systems, which surround us. If you're looking for a new podcast, please support, share, and like The Native Calgarian Podcast as Michelle is a dedicated human. Black Pride YYC has The Black Pride Festival on August 9th, 2025 at The Hillhurst Community Centre. It's going to be amazing!!!! Check out their socials for more information ❤️️⁦https://www.interruptingcriminalization.com/defundpolice-toolkit⁩⁦https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/⁩End genocide 💔**If you are interested in coming on the podcast please direct inquiries to david@davidlewry.com****If you are interested in making a donation to Freedom's Path Recovery Society please visit our website** ⁦www.freedomspathrecoverysociety.ca⁩***Please like and follow The Native Calgarian Podcast - it's amazing.

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 police officers and refusing to talk to them in any capacity. As I mentioned to one or two of them this past week, I will be talking about them and at them, but not with them. I point out the obvious privilege that I carry being able to yell at the poe poe the way I do. We aren't sure if it's run of the mill nepotism and white privilege that protects me or if there are individuals within the police service watching out for me? I haven't been beaten up by members of the service yet so I'm thinking someone is watching my back in there and for that, we thank you, as I'm old and fragile.

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.

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 you Sonny and thank you Wes for being there and supporting our conversation with kindness and love.

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 how nice they seem to be. It's always your choice in this country. This week, our friend and regular guest, Wesam stops by and we talk about the continuous genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestine, ongoing exploitation of African countries, protesting even though it might feel overwhelming, police violence in the name of state security, and many other subjects. We talk about the bogus charges the Calgary Police Service laid against him. How through constant pressure and fighting in court, he has had some conditions removed while awaiting trial. The Calgary Police Service has unlimited funds to punish anyone standing up against oppression. In the end we know the police service are performing for the cameras as they always do - as we approach the one year anniversary of the brutal attacks by both Calgary and Edmonton police services on unarmed students and supporters, including women and children. These departments have sold out the people of Alberta. Thank you for coming back on my friend. We appreciate all of the your work and presence in the community. The people united, will never be defeated.

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.

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 protestors at the University of Calgary. Ordered by the school administration and our provincial government.

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 dressed up as treatment.

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 communityWe are full of love for Steve and of course Stonewall Recovery Centre as the first 2SLGBTQi+ treatment centre in Canada. We at Freedom’s Path Recovery Society are so pleased to announce that we have been working closely with Steve and could not be more excited about the present and future.