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“I think he just created his own dramatic moments in life by — let’s call it — some grassroots micro-philanthropy,” said Trevor Johnson of his father Norm, a former CEO in land development and oil and gas who passed away in early April.
Norm, who was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder, became known for his generosity and openness to talking about his mental health challenges.
Norm Johnson was an oil industry executive who was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder and became well-known for his generosity and openness to talking about mental health.
Supplied to Global News
“Norm was incredibly generous,” said Emily Poherlic, manager of Café Beano in Calgary where his empathy was regularly on display.
He’s spend many hours there just shooting the breeze with friends and soon-to-be friends, often opening a tab to cover the cost of everyone’s drinks as they sat and visited and he’d leave gift cards for people in need at the till.
Johnson’s legacy prompted his son to inspired Trevor (left) to help champion fundraising efforts for the University of Calgary’s Mental Health Initiative for Stress and Trauma (MIST).
Global News
“A lot of pay it forward — a lot of people would add $20 to the pile and it would kind of keep going all day. It definitely encourages people to be giving, to take care of each other,” said Emily Pohorelic, manager of Café Beano.
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“Norm broke stigma. He was a well-off man who was open about struggles,” added Pohorelic.
Johnson’s family and friends say he would spend hours hanging out at Calgary’s Cafe Beano, talking to them, even complete strangers, about their struggles with mental health.
Provided to Global News
“Norm found a friend in every stranger, and in talking to some folks, he didn’t judge the way you looked,” said Trevor.
“He just found value in every human out there and allowed himself to be in that space to discover who it was who was sitting across from him.”
His father’s legacy, and the death of a best friend from suicide, inspired Trevor to champion fundraising efforts for the University of Calgary’s Mental Health Initiative for Stress and Trauma (MIST), which is helping to develop new approaches and treatments to support people with brain injury and mental health challenges — changing the way head trauma recovery is studied, focusing on impacts beyond the physical.
“A lot of people are not aware that this is something that is quite common in the aftermath of a head trauma is they have long lasting and protracted changes in their mental health,” said Dr. Matthew Hill.
Researchers at the University of Calgary’s Mental Health Initiative for Stress and Trauma (MIST) are helping to change the way head trauma recovery is studied, focusing on the mental health impacts, as well as physical.
Source: Global Calgary
The research being championed by MIST includes the first-ever clinical trials using psychedelics as a treatment for people who have persistent effects following a concussion.
“If we provide the right support through the psychotherapy we can help people shift into more adaptive and beneficial thought and behavioural patterns and hopefully provide long-lasting symptom relief,” said MIST researcher Leah Mayo.
And hopefully providing struggling people like Norm with some relief they might not otherwise have.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
