Joshua Dahling

About

Joshua Dahling’s path to public service has been shaped by lived experience, recovery, leadership and nearly three decades of helping others. He is running to represent Mid Island–Pacific Rim in Victoria.  Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Josh came to Canada in 1980 at the age of four. Growing up, he experienced extreme poverty, instability, homelessness and addiction. In 1997, he committed himself to sobriety, a decision that changed the direction of his life. A year later, Josh left the logging industry and moved to Nanaimo to study human services. While raising three young children as a single father, he worked in alcohol and drug treatment facilities, gaining firsthand professional experience in addiction, mental health and recovery. In 2009, Josh and his wife, Dr. Heather Mohan, began building what would become LUMARA, a registered Canadian charity supporting children, families and communities affected by serious illness, grief and bereavement. He has since helped lead multidisciplinary teams, develop innovative approaches to bereavement care, and train professionals and organizations across Canada and around the world. Throughout his career, Josh has served on advisory committees and worked with governments on mental health, substance use and community supports, alongside families, frontline professionals, organizations and First Nations communities across the country. Josh made Port Alberni home in 2018, drawn by the community and its incredible access to nature. When he’s not working, you’ll likely find him hiking, fishing, boating or swimming, no matter how cold the water is.