Former Councillor's Hidden Struggle: Abuse & Healing

0:00Former Ottawa City councillor Keith Eglie from Knoxdale, Mererville, served three terms handling major crises like 2018 tornadoes in Arlington. Woods, a 2022 derecho, light rail breakdown since 2019, and sharing public health through the worst of COVID. But after opting not to run again, he revealed a hidden struggle with childhood sexual abuse that he'd buried for decades. As a longtime litigation lawyer, Eglie was used to high stakes pressure, yet this personal trauma fueled inner turmoil. He turned to therapy, journaling, and eventually share his story in an Ottawa citizen opinion piece, describing overwhelming flashbacks and shakes. That column hit hard survivors and families reached out. Many shocked to learn about support services they'd never heard of, and counters like a woman crying over her disbelief from loved ones highlighted the isolation, especially for male victims who often stay silent as, just as Canada Research from 2019 confirms. Now Eglie's writing a book titled, Tenacious Little Fucker, Inspired by his wife's words

1:04during a tough moment, he even tattooed the initials. It launches April 16th at 6.30pm, at Ben Franklin Place, with a chapter from his wife on family impacts and spotlight groups like Voice. Founds 15-week peer support for rebuilding lives. Through forgiveness and coping tools, Eglie's attacks have eased, giving context to habits like always picking aisle seats for quick exits. His openness aims to normalize tough talks, urging others to seek help and break the silence on abuse from trusted figures like coaches or clergy. I'm Corey with the story. That's your Canada News today update, AI-powered and always on.