A conference focused on recovery, lived experience and community healing is coming to Lloydminster this spring.
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The Empower 2 Recovery conference will be held March 27 at the Border Inn and Suites from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., bringing together speakers with lived experience in addiction, mental health and trauma.
The event’s guest speaker is Jay Barnard of Ontario; founder of the non-profit Empower 2 Recover Foundation. The conference is being organized by Kerri Robb, who works in the addictions field in Maidstone and has been involved in the sector since 1999.
Robb said she was inspired to bring the conference to Lloydminster after attending an Empower 2 Recovery event in Saskatoon last October.
“I attended the conference because my sister Debbie and my niece Hailey were speaking to tell their story,” Robb said. “Hailey grew up in Lloydminster, and her mom Debbie still calls this community home.”
Hailey is a recovering addict, and Robb said her sister supported her through the most difficult parts of that journey.
Robb said the event differs from more traditional conferences, focusing on personal stories and lived experience rather than clinical presentations.
“It’s a panel of people sharing their story about mental health, addiction, trauma and what people face in recovery,” she said. “It’s all about the people who are going through it and what it takes to get better.”
After speaking with Barnard about the possibility of hosting a Lloydminster event, Robb said planning began alongside Debbie and Hailey to bring the conference to the community.
The conference will feature panel discussions, a variety of speakers and information booths from local and regional support organizations. Cultural elements will also be included, with Prairie Thunder Boys from Onion Lake Cree Nation providing drumming, and an elder opening the event with prayer.
The keynote speaker will be Tyler Lorenz of Residents in Recovery. Other speakers include Sheldon Hunter, Carissa Lyn McNaught, Rebecca Miller, Kathy Genest, Vera Koster, Chantel Huel, Bryan Meesto and Alex and Kyle Parsons.
Robb said the goal is to help address service gaps in the region and encourage community involvement.
“I wanted to bring it to Lloyd because I thought it would help fill some of the gaps of services we already have,” she said. “This is one avenue to be able to do that.”
Ticket and booth prices were set to help cover some of the event’s costs, though Robb said community support will be key to making it possible.
“We’d love to have the community buy in and recognize this is something our community needs,” she said. “We’re hoping people band together to create more healing.”
Robb said she hopes attendees leave the event with a renewed sense of hope.
“It doesn’t matter how hopeless your situation feels — there is hope, and you’re not alone,” she said.
Tickets cost $40 each, with tables of eight available for $320.
Booth pricing and additional details are available online at empower2recover.com.
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