Jill Chandler - Master of Ceremonies
Jill Chandler has been entertaining Maritime audiences for more than 30 years. Jill is a singer-songwriter from Stratford, PEI, and an emcee; she’s directed choirs, performed with ECMA award-winning bands, co-hosted a morning radio show, has been a featured performer in Craig Fair Productions and was a mainstay at Grafton Street Dinner Theatre.
Off the stage, she is the proud mother of three teenagers, the Marketing and Communications Advisor at the Workers Compensation Board of PEI and currently serves as a town councillor in Stratford.
Jill is honoured to be back emceeing this inspiring event that shines a spotlight on mental health, the important work of CMHA and celebrates the strength of the human spirit.
Amanda Landry - Keynote Speaker
Amanda Landry has spent more than 2 decades in emergency services, beginning her career as a Primary Care Paramedic before finding her way to the other end of the radio. Her career has included EMS, police dispatch, 911 call-taking, training and operational leadership, and she has served as an Operations Manager with MEDACOM Atlantic - the primary 911 answering point in PEI, providing dispatch services for Island EMS and 34 volunteer fire departments across the province - since 2018.
Throughout her career, Amanda has developed a deep appreciation for the people behind the uniform and the unique pressures carried by those who spend their working lives caring for others. Her experiences as a dispatcher, leader and first responder have shaped her belief that resilience isn’t simply about being able to keep going; it’s also about recognizing when we need to recover, reconnect and take care of ourselves.
Emergency services are woven into Amanda’s family life as well. She is married to a retired first responder who spent more than 20 years in EMS and fire services, and together they are parents to four sons, two of whom have followed the family’s first-response path through time in the fire service, policing, and emergency dispatch.
Outside of work, Amanda is happiest surrounded by family, at the hockey rink, lifting weights in her home gym, or sitting back with her feet up. She remains passionate about the culture, history, and people of first response - and about creating workplaces where taking care of ourselves is recognized as part of taking care of each other.
Julie Pelissier-Lush - Special Guest
Julie Pellissier-Lush is a Mi’kmaw storyteller, photographer, actor, drummer, and best-selling author, recognized as the first Indigenous Poet Laureate for PEI. Through her creative pursuits, including books, songs, and poetry, Julie celebrates the powerful stories of the Mi’kmaq on PEI. She has been instrumental in scripting the play ‘Mi’kmaq Legends,’ performed numerous times across the Island, and draws inspiration from her elders and her five children, who motivate her to teach, sing, and create in honour of her Mi’kmaw roots.
As a cultural teacher and knowledge keeper, Julie's contributions to the Mi’kmaw community and PEI have earned her several accolades, including the Queen's Jubilee Medal and the Meritorious Service Medal. Currently residing near Charlottetown with her husband, children, and granddaughter, she is actively engaged in writing a new ghost storybook with Elders of PEI, along with two children’s books. Her work continues to reach audiences through local bookstores and various productions across Atlantic Canada.
(Bio sourced from Indigenous PEI website: https://indigenouspei.ca/vendor/julie-pellissier-lush/
Musical Guest - Brieonna Locche Ft. Craig Fair
Brieonna has a background in musical theatre and has been part of numerous Island productions over the years. When she’s not performing, you’ll find her keeping up with her energetic little ones, restoring an old farmhouse with her husband, or working behind the scenes to support the Island’s vibrant music festival community.
Her current project, Tunes and Tall Tales, is a creative collaboration with two of her close friends, bringing together three female voices, original storytelling, and music for little audiences and their families. Together, they’ve taken their show across the Maritimes.
As she navigates the joys and challenges of early motherhood, women’s mental health is especially close to Brie’s heart. She is deeply grateful for the opportunity to perform in support of such an important cause.
Brie has been part of numerous Craig Fair productions over the last two years and is delighted to share the stage again with him at Women and Wellness.
Event Photographer - Jamie Marie (Jamie Marie Photography)
Jamie Marie is a PEI-based portrait & event photographer/creative guide who captures the beauty of human emotion and connection. Through her work, she invites people to express and celebrate themselves just as they are.
Find Her at:
Instagram: @jamiemarie.photo
Facebook: Jamie Marie Photography