Eoin Dewar

You may recognize Eoin Dewar. He generously offers his talents to our community through the ministry of music, so his face and voice are familiar to us. What you see, however, is only the tip of the iceberg. He has more depth and understanding of vulnerable sectors in our world than one might imagine and he’s not afraid to speak his truth to anyone who engages in the conversation. Once married and father to three wonderful children, Eoin identifies as a gay man. That is his truth but that is not his whole identity. Eoin believes that once you listen to the stories of people’s lives, especially the challenging ones, your whole perception can be altered. He was challenged personally after a heart attack, which brought into focus the gaps in health care and his own mortality, but he has had other experiences that altered his world view.

He is well aware that he’s a product of white privilege. At one point in time he claimed to not be racist, but he has grown to understand that his life’s work includes challenging his assumptions, those learned in a privileged childhood in Cumberland and Pictou counties. Raised in a kind and loving family, Eoin is one of two sons born to Rev. Edgar and Marjorie Dewar. He speaks fondly of his early years, yet has come to realize how comforts and conscience are sometimes at odds with each other. His adult life provided many opportunities for growth and advocacy. When asked if religion needs to be political, Eoin answered, “Everything is political! We make conscious choices but sometimes we do not understand the consequences of the choices made. Do you think Canadians realize the working conditions of the people working in the Maquiladoras, not to mention living conditions or the implications of profit in water or silver to the people of Guatemala? Communities have been massacred for greed and profit and its the Indigenous populations that have been wiped out. Blatant environmental racism happens all around the world. It's happening right now in Digby County.”