Ex-gang members visit middle school to encourage youth to take better path

Four former gang members shared their stories with students at Gonzaga Middle School in Winnipeg, hoping to show them that it’s not a life worth leading. Mike Albanese has more.

By Mike Albanese

Last week, CityNews shared the stories of four ex-gang members who are visiting schools, to share their stories, aiming to keep kids from making the same decisions.

Tuesday, CityNews joined them as they spoke with students at Gonzaga middle school.

“It took me a very long time to get to this point. But I’m here now,” said Tim Barron, a member of Four Sacred Hearts. “We all lived the life of gangs, violence, and abuse. We just don’t want to see you guys go down the same road.”



The group called Four Sacred Hearts sat circled by over 40 grade six, seven, and eight students at the north end school. They spoke about the trauma of fractured families.

“I was born into a broken home, and right away I saw violence and drugs. All my life I saw that so that’s all I knew. I thought that was the life to live, not going to school,” explained Terrance Morin, a member of Four Sacred Hearts.

Glen Hondz, another member of Four Sacred Hearts adding, “I grew up in low-income housing, Manitoba housing. I just noticed a lot of alcohol and drug usage in my family. A lot of fighting as I grew up watching my parents fight.”

Four ex-gang members visit Gonzaga Middle School, aiming to keep kids from making the same decisions. (Photo Credit: Mike Albanese, CityNews)

They spoke about gang life providing a false sense of family, that you had to sacrifice yourself to be a part of.

“When I was living the lifestyle I struggled a lot with addiction, and I ended up getting shot,” said Jeremy Raven, a member of Four Sacred Hearts.

The men said they longed for a strong role model when they were kids and wish they’d done things differently. Rex Ferguson-Baird, the principal of Gonzaga Middle School, believes that’s exactly what this group will be to the students.

“I mean you could hear a pin drop in the gym for over an hour of presentation – these kids were super engaged,” Ferguson-Baird explained. “They’re seeing themselves, their families represented. That’s super powerful.”

“When they’re talking about their authentic walk and how the choices they made weren’t true to themselves if our kids can take a kernal of that and if it helps them stay in school, in their learning and their own growth, that will pay off in dividends.”

As for the students’ take on the presentation: “What really stuck with me was how they explained how they were able to cope with their past and be able to do stuff to help them cope with it,” said Jason Bruce, a grade 6 Student. “That was kind of like an inspiration.”

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