April Labine

My name is April Labine. I am a proud Indigenous woman, born March 29, 1972. My childhood was surrounded with abuse, which developed into anger issues and addiction as I grew older. I supported my addiction through prostitution and crime and spent many years behind provincial jails and federal prisons. In 2004, I got involved with Harm Reduction, which began the process of healing.

Through PASAN, I met and signed up for Confluence Arts Collective’s theatre group, which completely changed my life forever. In our first theatre project The Countess and Me we were many strong and resilient women standing together as one, coming together to eventually perform at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre here in Toronto. Today I have been sober for four years, and am happily married. I work at Consumption Treatment Services at Fred Victor – this job has become my passion, being able to help other addicts. I had to find my purpose through my journey. Only l could have walked in my shoes, with no regrets.