Every November, National Addictions Awareness Week creates a vital space for Canadians to talk openly about addiction, recovery, and mental health.
Every fall, we see a surge of requests for speakers who have lived it, studied it, and dedicated their lives to changing the conversation around addiction and mental health. The speakers featured in this guide bring that authenticity to every stage — combining personal stories of struggle and recovery with professional expertise and evidence-based insights.
Contact us to learn more and to book your November event today.
Mental Health and Addictions Experts and Advocates
From lived experience to leading research, these speakers bring powerful, authentic perspectives on addiction and mental health.
Jordin Tootoo
The Power to Change One Step at a Time
On the ice, Jordin Tootoo was a force: powerful player, fan favourite, and a rising NHL star. Off the ice, he fought a private battle with alcohol addiction, rooted in grief and the pressures of stardom.
In this raw, honest presentation, Jordin reveals how his rapid rise led to his greatest fall, and the painful journey to rebuild his life. He’ll walk through foundational lessons of his Northern upbringing that gave him strength and how they can help others navigate seemingly impossible barriers too.
Dr. Shimi Kang
Award-Winning Medical Doctor and Researcher
Dr. Shimi Kang is one of Canada’s few addiction psychiatrists (including technology overuse). She is current a practicing psychiatrist and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia.
Drawing on 25 years of clinical experience and groundbreaking research into addiction and depression, she dives deep into the science behind addiction, offering audiences research-backed solutions to one of today’s most vexing issues.
Mark Bentz
Unchained: Living In, Breaking Free From, and Preventing Addiction
Legally blind since age nine and a two-gold-medal Paralympic champion, Mark Bentz knows firsthand what it means to face seemingly impossible barriers.
Having battled alcohol and drug addiction, Bentz shares what it means to live inside addiction, the steps needed to break free, and how to avoid it altogether. He combines that lived experience with proven mindset tools to show audiences how to reframe adversity and emerge stronger.
Clint Malarchuk
The Crazy Game: How I Survived in the Crease and Beyond
No job in sports is as intimidating and stressful as NHL goaltender. Now imagine doing it while battling anxiety, OCD, and depression — and having your career nearly cut short by a skate across your neck.
Clint Malarchuk shares his extraordinary, heart-wrenching story of alcoholism, 20 years of undiagnosed PTSD, and his relentless effort to end the stigma of mental illness.
Mary Walsh
Mental Health and Addiction
Best known for creating and starring on CBC’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Mary Walsh is one of Canada’s most respected and outspoken advocates for mental health and addiction awareness.
A former spokesperson for Bell Let’s Talk Day, this acclaimed comedian and television personality uses her trademark humour to dive deep into life’s triumphs and tribulations in an effort to help dispel the stigma surrounding mental health and addiction.
Steven Page
Promoting Mental Health Everywhere
Former Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page delivers a raw look at mental health and addiction, drawing from his own struggles with bipolar disorder and substance use.
With wit and vulnerability, he explores how his 2008 arrest became the catalyst for confronting decades of hidden struggle — showing how breaking silence around mental health can save lives and reminding us that everyone has a role to play.
These conversations matter year-round, but National Addictions Awareness Week is the moment to bring them to your stage. Contact us today to book one of these exceptional speakers for your November event.
