Our Story

LifeRing was first brought to Canada in 2005 to improve quality and access to effective substance misuse and addiction services. LifeRing participants and organizers in Canada realized there was a significant need for diversity and alternatives for people recovering from substance use disorders. In an effort to address this lack of diversity, in 2008 they established a charitable Canadian society, LifeRing Secular Recovery Society Canada. There are well-supported groups across the country offering a space to discuss recovery topics and foster peer support. LifeRing will continue to grow city-by-city; province-by-province.

The success of LifeRing has been made possible by the ongoing support of the professional community and other stakeholders who see LifeRing as a viable and proven option for keeping people clean and sober and providing a meaningful recovery. LifeRing ultimately prevents and minimizes harm to society, builds capacity for resilience, and is a coordinated community-based response to addiction.

LifeRing is a British Columbia-registered not-for-profit and federally registered charitable organization. Face-to-face meetings are held at a variety of spaces: community centres, churches, addiction treatment facilities, correctional facilities, First Nations, and community non-profit office spaces. Attendees are referred from a number of organizations such as Vancouver Island Health Authority (multiple facilities), public health agencies, non-profit agencies, Victoria Police Department, Victoria Restorative Justice Society, and community centres, to name a few. Anyone is free to self-refer by just showing up at a meeting.