Guest: Chantal Vallerand (director of a anti-drug organization)
The margin of error of drug abuse is narrowing, according to Chantal Vallerand. And that is how she remains passionate about her role as leader of Drug Free Kids Canada. It drives her forward every day, allowing her to seek out potential funders and supporters, explaining to them the importance of the mission to keep dangerous drugs away from youth.
Can “encourager” be a job? For Joe Roberts, that is how he sees himself in a world full of change and uncertainty. In his Push For Change Foundation, he seeks to better protect kids so they don’t fall through the cracks. And he isn’t just all talk – he draws on his own struggles with being a homelessness youth in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver. On top of his foundation, he also does public speaking at conferences, where he uses his empathy to understand how to speak to each audience.
Children’s health is a complex and sensitive field. As a pediatrician, Dr. Stuart Turvey diagnoses a huge variety of illnesses and conditions in children – while dealing with scared kids and parents, with the goal of turning them into happy and healthy ones. All the while, he also researches these health conditions and their causes, while keeping in mind the social and emotional impacts of the kids’ health journeys.
What is the current and future state of dentistry in Canada? To Bruce Ward, this might be the biggest issue in his industry today. Does the dentistry field have enough dentists? What about assistants? After all, dentists need them to function. Do we have enough qualified workers domestically, or do we need to reach out internationally? As the president of the Canadian Dental Association, Bruce’s job is a mixture of making sure dentists in Canada can deal with industry realities, economics, and even immigration.
How do you allow men to live longer and healthier lives? As CEO and president of the Canadian Men’s Mental Health Foundation, that is Kenton Boston’s job. To be successful, he had to be good at elevating each member of his small team, so that they can solve difficult tasks and challenges, especially when spanning provinces, time zones, and community types.
