Finding the Right Place to Move Forward

Ian Cooper was the first man to walk through the doors of Johnson Manor. This is his story — and why it matters for the 19 men who followed him.

“I was waiting for the right place at the right time and the right opportunity to move forward,” Ian says, looking around his room on the top floor of Johnson Manor, Cool Aid’s new recovery house. “Thank God for places like this.”

Ian was the first to apply, and the first to move in when Johnson Manor opened on April 7th. Today, 20 men call it home — each one at a critical crossroads in their recovery journey.

“I thought it was hopeless”

Just a few years ago, Ian’s life looked very different. “Everything was chaos and destruction. At the time, I thought it was hopeless.”

He found his way to New Roads Therapeutic Recovery Community, where he spent 15 months rebuilding his life.

“New Roads saved my life,” he says. But he knew that leaving treatment wasn’t the same as being recovered. He needed ongoing support and a safe, substance-free place to land. That’s when he found Johnson Manor.

“When you’re in treatment, you’re in a bubble. Recovery really starts when you hit the outside world again. But we’re sending people back out to fend for themselves with no place to go, no job, no one to count on.”

“They’re my brothers”

Johnson Manor isn’t just a place to sleep. Every resident has a role — from cooking dinner to daily chores. They attend regular recovery meetings, and many connect with meaningful paid work in the community through Cool Aid’s Labour Pool, a program that helps people find employment while meeting them exactly where they’re at. The structure is intentional. So is the community.

“They’re my brothers. We’re in this together,” Ian says of his fellow residents.

Evan James, Cool Aid’s Recovery House Manager, saw Ian’s resolve early on and offered him the role of House Lead — the person who helps guide and support the other men in the house, checks in on their goals, and simply listens when listening is what someone needs.

“It’s a huge honour, but also a huge responsibility. It gives me purpose. So I’m putting all my effort into it.”

A future for his children

When Ian thinks about why he’s working so hard, the answer is immediate: his children. “If I hadn’t changed my life around, I don’t know if I’d still have a family. Now, I can support them and be present in their lives.”

He has also reconnected to his creativity through recovery. He’s currently writing a children’s book — one he hopes will help kids understand why a parent or family member with addiction sometimes isn’t around. “I’ve always seen that there’s a need for kids to understand that,” he says.

Ian is keenly aware that many others are waiting for the same opportunity he was given. “If there were four Johnson Manors, they would all be full.”

“Because of this place, there are 20 guys who are now going to be able to go out and help society. If it wasn’t for this, I wouldn’t have been able to better my life, and my children’s lives. Thank you.”