ABOUT ME

I was born (1992) and raised in Edmonton  and have always lived on the west end. My Dad’s family arrived in Canada in the mid 1600’s making me an 11th generation French Canadian, who unfortunately only speaks English. On my Mom’s side, I am 4th generation German/Polish Canadian. I’ve been married to Sara for 3 years and we have been together for seventeen years. We have two dogs (Archer & Sterling) who are both 8 years old.

My encounters with death:  My Dad’s side of the family is quite large (i.e., he has 50ish  first cousins) so as a child, there were often funerals for great aunts or uncles that I didn’t know well or had never met. My memories are of always being comfortable with spaces where my relatives were grieving and seeing bodies in open caskets. I don’t remember a time being uncomfortable or scared. I encountered my first close death when I was 19 years old and my Dad’s oldest brother, Harvey, died suddenly in a motorcycle accident. Following that my Grandfather, Gerard (Joseph), passed away when I was 23 years old. Suddenly,  in 2018, my Dad was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (brain cancer) and passed away the same year; I was 26 years old. Then my Grandmother, Doreen, who chose the MAID program, had a  medically assisted death which I sat vigil on when I was 28 years old. My Dad’s other brother, Darrell, died overseas when I was 31 years old. Most recently, my other Grandmother, Lenore, passed away last year. This list does not include my great grandparents or any of my great aunts or uncles, or any of my parents' cousins. I have had an intimate relationship with death my whole life and am very comfortable talking about and holding space for the beautiful and difficult conversations that surround death.

Spiritual background: I was born and raised in the Roman Catholic Church. I was quite a devout Catholic until about16 years old. At that time, I started studying other faiths and religions. I began to question the prescriptive nature of many religions and found solace in the physical world and science, as many in my generation do. I spent my 20’s with a very practical view of the world and my place in it. As I started to get close to my 30’s, through many conversations with my wife, Mom, and sister (in-law), I went out to find the right spiritual path for me. I stumbled upon the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD). I have been studying in the order for three and a half years and am a Bard in the Order. This spiritual practice is one based in the old world religion of Druidry. The modern interpretation of this practice is one where we prioritise nature and the natural order, paying attention to the outside world to understand ourselves and our place in it. My practice involves regular rituals around the changing of seasons, aligning my personal nature with that of the world. I have serious and deep respect for all religions and I believe finding one’s own answers to life’s great mysteries is extremely personal. I am honoured and happy to support and walk alongside people of any religion, spiritual practice, or non-religious

Professional background:  After graduating from high school, I began a 20 year journey working in retail management with my first 10 years at Best Buy Canada.  I also did my first year of a Bachelor of Arts majoring in philosophy. In 2015, I ran to be the Member of Parliament for West Edmonton, but unfortunately lost. I continued to work for three other large retailers as a district manager and in  the fall of 2025 I decided to pursue my vocation. I began reading and studying aboutn Death Doulas. I recently completed the End of Life Doula course at Douglas College (Vancouver). I am now beginning my practice as a Death Doula.