BONNYVILLE – Local nurse and volunteer firefighter Destiny Johnston-Halas has added a new title to her already busy life.

Destiny was recently crowned Mrs. Personality Canada 2026, but for her, the crown is about much more than gowns and appearances. She plans to use her reign to continue advocating for better mental health education for healthcare workers and first responders.

“I think, for me, changing my mindset into how I can use this to benefit my community was kind of where I was going for this,” Destiny told Lakeland Connect.

Finding the right kind of pageant

Destiny is no stranger to pageants. She competed as a child, stepped away and eventually returned to the pageant world in 2022.

In 2024, she discovered Personality Pageants and found a competition that felt like a better fit.

“They focus more on what you’re doing in your community and who you are as a person instead of how you look, which is really good,” she said.

Personality Pageants is a Canadian organization focused on confidence, personal growth, advocacy and community involvement. Delegates are encouraged to share their platforms, build public-speaking skills and form connections with other women.

The competition still has its share of gowns and time on stage, but much of each contestant’s score comes from an interview. Delegates also deliver an impact speech about the work they are doing in their communities.

“You get to walk around in the fancy gowns, but no swimsuit,” Destiny joked.

She began training in February, but said preparing for the competition became less about winning and more about what she could do with the opportunity.

Speaking up for those who serve

Destiny works as a nurse in Bonnyville and is also a volunteer firefighter with the Bonnyville Regional Fire Authority.

Through those roles, she has seen the pressures healthcare workers and first responders can face. Her advocacy calls for mental health education to begin before people enter those careers, giving them tools to cope with what they may experience on the job.

“I like speaking up about mental health because it’s something that’s affected me and it’s affected a lot of people,” she said. “I’ll always continue to keep talking about it.”

Her work has opened the door to conversations with government representatives and other decision-makers.

Destiny said she was recently told universities are beginning to track nurses’ resiliency five and 10 years into their careers after one of those conversations.

“Now they can actually have data to be like, ‘Hey, yeah, this is important to have mental health education for nurses and for first responders,’” she said.

Destiny is also the social media manager for Breaking the Silence Edmonton, a mental health awareness campaign and fundraiser.

She plans to bring that message with her as she attends events and speaking engagements during her reign.

 

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Soon to be a Mrs.

The new title comes at a fitting time for Destiny, who is getting married in a few weeks.

She said people have already asked why she competed for the Mrs. Personality Canada title before the wedding.

“I’m going to be a Mrs. for the rest of my reign, so it made more sense to be a Mrs. than a Miss for me,” she said.

Between preparing for her wedding, attending fashion shows and lining up speaking engagements, Destiny has a full year ahead of her.

And while the crown may occasionally dig into her head, she said she still loves it.