Photo of: Jay Barnard “Chef Recovery”
Photo by: Danielle Dufour
A powerful movement of healing and community connection took over the mâmawêyatitân centre as a celebrated culinary figure Jay Barnard, widely known as “Chef Recovery,” co-led the second annual Regina’s Battle for Recovery event. Organized by the Empower2Recover Foundation, the full-day gathering brought together over 200 local residents, elders, speakers and mental health partners to change the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction through cultural sharing, lived experience storytelling and a free community barbecue.
Having personally struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, Barnard draws on eighteen years of recovery experience to deeply understand the battle. Since evolving into a motivational speaker, he also utilized his unique background as a Red Seal chef to serve icons like Wayne Gretzky, Snoop Dog, and William Shatner. It was at his TEDx talk in 2015 called “Living the Dream and Never Giving Up” where he had a turning point for his advocacy, with the idea to bring people together to share stories to help those in the battle for recovery.
“It’s called healing out loud,” said Barnard. “The silence is what’s really killing people.”
He broke out of the traditional system wanting to do things differently and now travels across Canada bringing his lived mental health, trauma and addictions events.
“We don’t need to point fingers, we need to come together as a family,” said Barnard. “We’re at a war.”
This was the 36th event across five provinces for Empower2Recover Foundation in the four years operating as a national not-for-profit that has been publicly funded through donations and community partnerships.
“We launched our youth young adult battle for recovery with the Street Culture in May,” said Barnard.
There will be another event November 20th at George Gordon First Nation during national addiction awareness week.
“We’ve done 7 Indigenous Community events now across Canada,” said Barnard. “Getting them more connected, getting them more resources, more protection and safeness.”
Thanks to a generous donation from Casino Regina, two community organizations Aids Program South Saskatchewan (APSS) and All Nations Hope Network, will receive 25 per cent each from this donation and the rest will go to the Empower2Recover Foundation to continue offering these events.
He along with his partner Darren Hobbs of A&E’s show “Intervention” have launched a wearable technology called “Keep”, a bracelet designed to help people stay connected, celebrate progress, recognize when someone may be struggling and provide opportunities for early intervention and prevention. Barnard is excited his foundation is the first non-for-profit in Canada to get this technology and is expecting it to become available in Canada by the end of August this year.
Dining and Cooking