Brian Markle: Nearly 20 Years of Sobriety, Service and Chaplaincy

OTTAWA — August 2026

In January 2027, Brian Markle will reach a deeply significant milestone: 20 years of sobriety from alcoholism. For Markle, the anniversary represents far more than a date on a calendar. It marks nearly two decades of recovery, personal growth, faith, service and a continuing commitment to helping others facing some of life's most difficult circumstances.

Markle stopped drinking in January 2007. At the time, he could not have known exactly where that decision would lead. What began as a personal commitment to recovery would eventually become closely connected to his ministry and chaplaincy work, giving him opportunities to support people dealing with addiction, crisis, incarceration, hospitalization and major personal challenges.

His own experience with alcoholism has remained an important part of how he understands recovery.

Markle knows firsthand that addiction can affect far more than a person's drinking habits. It can influence relationships, employment, family life, emotional well-being and a person's sense of direction. Recovery, therefore, is not simply about stopping alcohol use. It can involve rebuilding trust, discovering new priorities and learning how to live differently.

That perspective has influenced the way Markle interacts with people who are struggling.

Rather than approaching addiction solely from a pastoral or professional standpoint, he can draw upon his own journey when listening to others. Someone dealing with alcoholism may feel isolated, ashamed or convinced that meaningful change is no longer possible. Markle's experience has given him an understanding of how important it can be for another person simply to listen without immediately judging.

Over the years, faith became an increasingly important part of his life and his approach to service.

Markle became a licensed and registered minister in Ontario and served in ministry before moving more deeply toward chaplaincy. The transition reflected his growing desire to work with people beyond the traditional setting of a church.

Chaplaincy offered an opportunity to meet people wherever they happened to be—whether that meant a hospital, correctional setting, recovery environment or another difficult point in life.

His association with the Chaplains' Office of Canada Corporation (COOCC) became another part of that service.

For Markle, chaplaincy has involved circumstances that can be emotionally demanding. A hospital call may involve someone struggling with drugs or alcohol, an overdose, or a family trying to understand what happens next. Another situation may involve visiting someone in jail whose life has become intertwined with addiction and the justice system.

Every circumstance is different, but Markle's approach is rooted in the belief that the person in front of him deserves to be treated as a person.

Addiction can sometimes cause outsiders to focus primarily on the decisions someone has made. Markle's own recovery experience has helped him recognize that there can be much more beneath the surface. Family circumstances, trauma, isolation, substance dependence, financial problems and other challenges can become intertwined in ways that are difficult to understand from the outside.

That is one reason listening has become such an important part of his work.

Chaplaincy is not necessarily about having an immediate answer to every problem. Sometimes it means being present when someone is frightened. Sometimes it means offering spiritual care when it is welcomed. Sometimes it means listening to a family member, visiting someone who is incarcerated or helping an individual think about the next practical step.

And sometimes, simply showing up matters.

Markle's connection to the recovery community has continued alongside his ministry and chaplaincy work. His involvement with Alcoholics Anonymous has provided another avenue for connecting with people affected by alcoholism and for supporting individuals who are trying to maintain their own sobriety.

The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic also demonstrated how important connection can be for people in recovery. Isolation created additional challenges for many individuals struggling with alcohol and other substances. During that period, Markle continued his efforts to remain connected with people who needed encouragement and support.

As January 2027 approaches, Markle does not describe sobriety as something that was achieved once and then forgotten.

Instead, recovery remains part of his everyday life.

Twenty years represents a remarkable amount of time, but sobriety is still a continuing journey. Life after addiction does not eliminate every difficulty. There can still be unexpected challenges, disappointments, losses and changes. The difference is that recovery provides a foundation from which those circumstances can be faced without returning to the life that existed before sobriety.

For Markle, that foundation has also created an opportunity to serve others.

His journey from alcoholism to long-term sobriety, ministry and chaplaincy demonstrates how a difficult personal chapter can become part of a broader life of service. His experiences have not erased the past; instead, they have helped shape his understanding of people who are facing their own struggles.

The work itself is often quiet.

A hospital visit may never make the news. A jail visit may be remembered only by the person who received it. A conversation with someone considering recovery may never appear in a public record. Yet those individual moments can be meaningful because they take place when people may feel most alone.

That is where much of Markle's work continues.

As he approaches two decades of sobriety, he can look back on the decision he made in January 2007 and see how profoundly it changed the direction of his life. What began as a personal journey toward recovery eventually became connected with faith, ministry and a commitment to helping others.

January 2027 will mark 20 years since Brian Markle stopped drinking. The anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the distance traveled, but it also represents another beginning.

For Markle, the focus remains on continuing to serve—to answer the calls, visit those who need support, listen to people experiencing addiction or crisis, and offer pastoral and spiritual care when it is wanted.

Nearly 20 years of sobriety have given him a history of recovery.

Ministry gave that experience a spiritual dimension.

Chaplaincy gave him another way to put that experience into service.

And the journey continues.