The Punishers and the White Bear Singers are part of the celebration of wellness and recovery in We’koqma’q.
November 26, 2025
-by Beverley Phillips
We’koqma’q capped off Wellness and Addiction Awareness Week with a day of celebration on Saturday, November 22nd.
Norma Gould, a social worker in We’koqma’q, organized the event. Throughout the week, there were various avenues people could explore to learn about wellness practices and how to manage addictions. There were sessions on massage therapy, acupuncture, guided meditation, and traditional practices such as sweat lodges and healing ceremonies. There were even haircuts and nail appointments, because even something as simple as a haircut can make one feel better. All of the sessions were free.
Gould got the idea from attending a Recovery Conference in Vancouver a few years ago. There were lots of resources on getting help, but also food trucks and activities for kids. “It was simply people getting together, having fun, and learning a few things along the way,” said Gould.
People also shared stories of their recovery from addiction. As Gould listened, she thought, “I want to bring this home. We don’t do this enough. We need to celebrate the hard work people have done in their lives to overcome their addiction.”
The day of celebration began with a community smudging. Gould began the ceremony singing the Honour Song on the side of the highway at one end of the We’koqma’q. Then, from the back of a pick-up truck, Gould played the drum and burned tobacco, sage, and cedar as the truck drove slowly around the community. It ended at the community hall, where the rest of the events were being held, and where the sacred fire was burning.
Gould described the sacred fire as a powerful ceremony for healing for those in need, and a sacred place to come and offer prayers, and ask for guidance. As long as the fire is lit, the ancestors are there to help.
Clifford Copage lit the fire at noon on Friday, and through song and prayer, he explained, he called on the spirits in the ancestral world. “It’s not just for Mi’kmaw,” he said. “It’s about calling everyone’s ancestors. We are all one nation. We want to make sure everyone is included.”
To keep it going all day and night, Klooscap, the newest chapter of the Punishers Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club (PLEMC), were invited to tend the fire.
“This is our first public outreach,” said Cameron Watson, President of the chapter. “It’s an honour to have been asked to be firekeepers.”
The Punishers are a global motorcycle club made up of retired military or law enforcement members, or those who are like-minded. Watson said he falls into the like-minded category, as does Vice President Noel Gould, though he has been part of cadets and has military influence in his life. Gould may also be the youngest VP in the whole organization. Watson said Gould’s maturity and skill earned him the position. Dale Corrah, a retired police officer, was the third member present, and he’s the National Enforcer Captain, and his role is to enforce club discipline. Other members were not able to be there.
While they are a motorcycle club and wear black vests with a skull on them, “We’re the good guys,” said Corrah.
“‘In service to others’ is our motto,” said Corrah. The club is available to help out in a community wherever and however they can. “If someone reaches out to us and asks for help,” said Watson, “we’ll be there. Soup kitchen, food bank, whatever someone needs.”
Inside the community hall, people gathered to hear from the guest speakers who shared their stories of addiction and recovery. Each story was unique, and yet they all carried some similar elements. They started drinking because they had anxiety, or it was cool, or just what everyone did.
Some were heavily into drugs. All reached a point where they didn’t want this to be their life anymore. “I got sick and tired of being sick and tired,” said Clifford Copage.
And it is a place that people need to come to themselves. “You can’t make someone quit drinking,” said Aurora Cremo.
They spoke about the challenges of getting sober, for alcohol is everywhere. They leaned on friends, partners, and support groups to get through it. All of them realized they needed to surround themselves with people who didn’t drink or have other addictions. “If you want to quit drinking, you gotta change your friends,” said Susan Copage.
Another key to recovery was their spiritual practice, whether reconnecting with traditional Mi’kmaw ceremonies or finding faith in Jesus.
When tempted to return to the addiction, they would consider why they quit in the first place; it was often a child, either their own or those in the community. Clifford summed it up well, “It’s important to remember who you are and where you are from. Life is hard, and there were times I wanted to use, and I asked myself, “Why?” It’s not going to make things better.”
