(Image Credit: Thunderbird Partnership Foundation)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Community Builder

Safe Harbour Society’s Elder Lynn Jonasson earns national recognition

Mar 16, 2026 | 3:58 PM

Red Deer-based Safe Harbour Society for Health and Housing is celebrating one of its own.

Elder Lynn Jonasson, who leads the Many Healing Blankets program at Safe Harbour, was recently named a recipient of the Life Promotion Award at the 2026 National First Nations Substance Use Summit. This was hosted by the Thunderbird Partnership Foundation and the Youth Substance Abuse Committee (YSAC).

The national award recognizes leadership in advancing culturally grounded substance use and mental wellness care for First Nations communities.

“This recognition reflects the depth of culturally grounded healing work that has long been part of Safe Harbour’s foundation,” said Kelli Steele-Stanton, executive director. “Elder Lynn’s leadership embodies the spirit of the White Bison Wellbriety movement and the community-driven healing approach that continues to guide our evolution.”

Safe Harbour notes it is at its heart Indigenous-led, and is Canada’s only White Bison Certified Treatment and Recovery Centre.

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Through the White Bison Wellbriety model, Safe Harbour integrates:

• Cultural teachings and ceremony

• Trauma-informed recovery pathways

• Family and intergenerational healing

• Prevention and early-intervention

• Housing stabilization and long-term supports

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