Local group holds march in support of people in addiction recovery

Community unites for recovery awareness Local group Sober Is the New Cool hosts a wellness walk to support those in recovery and combat addiction stigma.

International Recovery Day is just around the corner, and one local group marked the event with a walk for wellness.

On Saturday, at least 100 people hiked Mount Royal Park in support of a family member, a friend or for themselves.

“I’m seven and a half years clean and sober. I’m from Ottawa, Gatineau, so I came down to support,” a participant said.

Kim Bellas leads the local group Sober is the New Cool, which supports people all over the world. In fact, groups in 30 countries walked for the cause on Saturday.

“Why should anybody have to apologize for finding a healthy life filled with wellness?” Bellas asked.

Bellas recounted that it all started because she wanted to help her son, Matthew Boyd.

“When you’re younger you try things and I made that mistake and there were consequences to it,” Boyd said.

When he was a teen, Boyd said he was diagnosed with epilepsy. He said he felt peer pressure to go to parties and drink, but he couldn’t mix his medicine with alcohol.

So, Bellas got sober to support him.

“I said Matthew this is crazy. You don’t need drugs or alcohol to have fun. And as I said it, I had the biggest glass of wine in my hand. And it still bothers me to this day,” Bellas explained.

Boyd said his mother became a motivating force to him, saying, “without my mom I wouldn’t be here.”

Sober is the New Cool works with rehabilitation centres like Portage.

“People do have challenges with addiction. They shouldn’t be labelled as a disgrace to society. They need help too,” said Allan Farkas, the national Admissions Director at Portage.

There is less stigma around being in recovery and sobriety today, but Bellas said her work is far from over.