It was a call from his brother that set him on the path.
Justin Holness was lost, angry and getting "into all kinds of trouble" on the street, but he was about to become an uncle, and he knew then that he had to change.
Learning about his mother's Assiniboine roots — she's part of the Ocean Man First Nation in Saskatchewan — helped him get there.
"It's been a struggle in the sense of trying to find my identity in a country that is still trying to come up with solutions to reconciliation," he says.
"And so learning a lot about my mother's background ... and learning about my identity and having the opportunity to have those resources available to me really helped shape my future."
During a ceremony to become a man, he was given a spirit name that means 'the one who helps, and asks for help when in need.'
'I just try to provide any positive resource that I can for our young people so they can find their gifts and their sense of purpose at an earlier age...' -Justin Holness
After winning $5,000 in a competition at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival in Ottawa, he started the annual Indigenious Art, Music and Fashion Show. This year's event will take place Sept. 29 at Algonquin College's Commons Theatre.
Holness also started TR1BE Music Studio program, which is housed in the former Ottawa Technical High School on Albert Street.
Students in the Urban Aboriginal High School Program take part, but other Indigenous youths with big dreams are invited to use the studio as well.
"Music is a universal language, and music also impacts the entire being. It's just one of those things that can really change your energy, your frequencies, and it can really provide a platform for a voice for a positive message," he says.
Holness also partnered with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board on an educational high school tour that highlights local Indigenous youth and their stories.
"I just try to provide any positive resource that I can for our young people so they can find their gifts and their sense of purpose at an earlier age, so we can just have more love and positive role models in leadership in this country," Holness says.
"I think everything happens for a reason and I'm very thankful for all the trials and tribulations that I've overcome, and it's got me to where I'm at today."
Trailblazers is a community connection project that tells stories about people making an impact in the Ottawa area. We received hundreds of submissions and a panel of judges helped select our top 10.