Motivational speaker Mike Scott was in Norman Wells on Saturday to bring his message, of what life can be without drugs and alcohol, to the people in the region.
“Change is possible,” said Scott, a member of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, in an interview before the performance. “... We have so many families that had been destroyed from alcohol and drug abuse and a lot of these kids don't believe dreams are possible until they see somebody that's actually changed it for themselves.”
As a child, Scott was in and out of foster care and jail. As a young adult with a daughter, he overcame addictions to alcohol and cocaine and turned his own life around, then started posting on social media like YouTube under the banner Sober Is Sexi! With the success of that, he began to tour around North America spreading his message.
“You can come from that background, but you don't have to live that lifestyle. You can change your life around if you want it. “
Norman Wells wellness co-ordinator Ethan Audet said a feast and fireworks were planned for after the event at the community hall.
Some nearby communities were disappointed that they didn’t know about the event when Scott came up last year, so Audet says the Norman Wells Land Corporation – which is hosting the event – has spread the word around the region that this is happening. He expects around 100 people to turn up.
Scott will be backed by Saskatoon-based hip-hop duo BrownCanShine, and they’ll be collaborating on music at the event after he tells his story.
“I didn't ever expect to become an alcoholic, you know, I never, I never thought I'd be addicted to cocaine or any other type of drugs and there was a point where I just felt empty, depressed, alone, you know, like I wanted to die basically,” said Scott.
“And those were the moments where I said I needed to change, you know, and it didn't come overnight.”
Scott says this change in his life has been the best thing he’s done for himself.
“You get clarity of your life and once you can see things clear, your dreams are becoming more achievable because you believe that they can actually be accomplished.”