May 15, 2019

Toronto, ON May 15, 2019 – Actor and producer Jennifer Podemski (Future History, Blackstone,Cardinal) and award-winning author Ann Dowsett Johnston (Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol) will join SHE RECOVERS® co-founders Dawn Nickel and Taryn Strong in Toronto as part of SHE RECOVERS’ Creating Connections North American Tour.  Jen McNeely, editor of SheDoesTheCity and the Meetup Lead of SHE RECOVERS® chapter in Toronto will also participate in the event, which runs from 10:30am-3:20pm on June 9, 2019 at the Burroughes Building in Toronto.  This tour will bring together women for a day of connection and inspiration through yoga, self care seminars, speakers and more. For tickets and more information click here.  
 
SHE RECOVERS® is an international movement of women (self-identified) in or seeking recovery from a wide variety of issues, including substance use disorders and other behavioural health issues, trauma, abuse, co-dependency, cancer, grief, low self-esteem, perfectionism and other life challenges. 
 
“We are so grateful to bring this important conversation on addiction to Toronto, and to be in the company of such brave, accomplished and strong speakers,” said Dawn Nickel and Taryn Strong, Co-Founders of SHE RECOVERS®. “We have learned that with community and support, all recovery is possible and we hope to share this message as widely as possible.”
 
“After meeting Dawn and Taryn at a SheRecovers event in New York in 2017, I was deeply moved and motivated to start a weekly meetup in Toronto, to help others who are seeking support outside of, or in addition to, the traditional avenue of addiction treatment,” said Jen McNeely. “I am so proud of everyone involved in this important work, and I am pumped for the Creative Connections event so we can give a platform for others to share their stories.”
 
Award-winning Actor and Producer Jennifer Podemski, who is of mixed First Nations and Israeli descent, will speak on Recovering from Illness and Addiction by Harnessing Indigenous Knowledge and Wisdom around Rematriation.  Jennifer’s acting credits include Cardinal, Hard Rock Medical, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Fire Song, Sensitive Skin, Blackstone, The Diviners, and Dance Me Outside. She has produced titles including Mocassin Flats, The Other Side, Empire of Dirt as well as the The Indspire Awards. Jennifer owns and founded Redcloud Studios Inc. which produces Future History as well as APTN’s famed paranormal series The Other Side.
 
Winner of five National Magazine Awards, a Southam Fellowship and the Atkinson Fellowship in Public Policy, Ann Dowsett Johnston is a gifted author and public speaker, and will speak on Reimagining Recovery. A respected advocate in public policy matters, she has a distinguished track record in shaping a broad variety of dynamic publications. As well, she is co-founder and co-chair of the National Roundtable on Girls, Women and Alcohol, a pan-Canadian advocacy group launched in 2013.
 
ABOUT SHE RECOVERS
 
Founded by Victoria, BC-based mother and daughter, Dawn Nickel and Taryn Strong, SHE RECOVERS® envisions a future where women from diverse backgrounds have the access, resources, support and freedoms necessary to cultivate individualized and holistic pathways in order to find health, sustain long-term recovery, achieve their potential, and help other women to do the same. 
 
SHE RECOVERS® creates welcoming spaces and transformative opportunities – online and in real life – to connect, support and empower recovering women.