Pocket Hugs with Afonso Creations — in the Hospital lobby today.
Local artist Jodi Afonso is on site today and tomorrow with her heartfelt “Pocket Hugs”, small resin hearts designed to be kept in your pocket as a reminder of love, hope, and connection. Inspired by her grandparents, Irene and Saul, Jodi created Pocket Hugs to “spread love, kindness, and positive messaging throughout our community.”
Jodi is also showcasing select artwork, with most proceeds generously donated back to the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. If you’re nearby, stop by the lobby to say hello, pick up a Pocket Hug, and support local care.
Thank you, Jodi, for helping our community feel supported, one small hug at a time.
Last week, we came together as a Hospital community to shine light on mental illness, challenge stigma, and encourage open conversations. What an impactful week it was!
The Mental Health Awareness Committee created spaces for connection, education, and reflection. Here’s a quick recap of the week’s highlights:
Monday – Music, Mind and Mingle set the tone with live acoustic music and meaningful conversation from local guitarist, James Wilkinson. Tuesday – Critical Incident Conversations with Psychological Associate, Sherri Capulak-Tinnes, offered insight into healing after experiencing high-stress events and supporting mental wellness. Wednesday – Our Mental Health Expo brought together organizations to share information related to their resources and support networks. Thursday – The Mental Illness Awareness Week Trivia Night tested our knowledge (and sparked laughter) while supporting our learning with mental illness. Congratulations to our winning team – Nahid Anee, Kristine Knauff, Erin DeGiacomo, Kim Gross, and Ashley Pitton. Friday – We closed the week with Uncovering Mental Illness: Facts, Not Fiction, a pop-up trivia experience that challenged stereotypes and encouraged learning on the go.
The Mental Health Awareness Committee would like to thank all those that participated in our activities.
Each year on October 18, Canadians mark Persons Day, which commemorates the 1929 court decision that recognized women as “persons” under Canadian law. This landmark ruling by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council allowed women to be appointed to the Senate, and was a turning point in Canada’s history of gender equality.
The victory was achieved through the efforts of the Famous Five—Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung, Louise McKinney, Irene Parlby, and Henrietta Muir Edwards—who challenged the exclusion of women from public life. Their perseverance helped open doors for women’s participation in politics and leadership.
However, as Women and Gender Equity Manitoba notes, the Famous Five’s vision did not include all women. Their advocacy efforts although significant, were not extended to racialized, Indigenous, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and low-income women, nor women with disabilities, whose struggles for equity continue to this day.
Indigenous activists, including as Mary Two-Axe Earley, Jeannette Corbiere Lavell, and Sandra Lovelace Nicholas later fought to end discrimination embedded in laws such as the Indian Act. Indigenous women have long played a vital role in advancing equity across Canada, overcoming systemic and social barriers, and demonstrating resilience and courage in the fight for justice and women’s rights. You can learn more about several remarkable Indigenous women who have, and continue to shape women’s rights here: https://www.gov.mb.ca/wage/persons-day.html
Persons Day is both a celebration of progress and a reminder that the pursuit of equality is ongoing. It calls on all Canadians to continue building a society where everyone—regardless of gender, race, or background—is recognized, valued, and included.
Emily Howard Jennings Stowe was born on May 1, 1831, in Norwich Township, Ontario. Raised in a Quaker family that valued education, she and her five sisters were home-schooled and learned herbal medicine and tinctures from their mother and family friend and homeopathic physician, Joseph J. Lancaster.
At just 15, Emily began her professional life as a teacher in Summerville, Ontario. When Victoria College denied her admission solely because she was a woman, she instead enrolled in the Normal School for Upper Canada in Toronto, graduating in 1854 with first-class honours. She went on to become the principal of a school in Brantford—the first woman to hold such a position at a public school in Ontario.
In 1856, Emily married John Fiuscia Michael Heward Stowe. When her husband contracted tuberculosis in 1863, her interest in medicine grew stronger. While continuing to teach, she apprenticed in homeopathic healing and herbal medicine, later traveling to the United States to attend the New York Medical College for Women, as no Canadian medical schools admitted women at the time. She earned her medical degree in 1867 and that same year opened a private practice in Toronto specializing in the health of women and children.
Because of licensing restrictions in Canada for both women and internationally-trained physicians, Emily practised without a license for many years. Alongside Jennie Kidd Trout, she was among the first women permitted to take classes at the Toronto School of Medicine, though full licensing remained out of reach. However, Emily’s persistence paid off in 1880 when the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario granted her a medical license.
Beyond her ground-breaking medical career, Emily Stowe was a passionate advocate for women’s rights, championing access to higher education, better working conditions, property rights, and the right to vote. Emily Stowe’s legacy lives on as a pioneer who opened doors for women in healthcare and beyond. Her trailblazing achievements were recognized in 2018 when she was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. You can learn more about Emily Stowe here: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/emily-stowe
The Bridge Northwest Program is hosting a Device Discovery Fair at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre that will allow staff and professional staff the opportunity to see, test, and compare the devices that will be used to access and document in the new Meditech Expanse system.
Base Carts: Ergonomic features, maneuverability typing positions, launching Expanse, battery life
Barcode Scanners: Range demonstrations, scanning on different surfaces & durability
Keyboards and Mice: Different option for anti-microbial keyboards/mice, testing them out
Wall Mounted Computer: Range of motion
Device Vendors/ Manufacturers Present: Ask questions directly to the device vendors/ manufacturers
This is your chance to discover the devices that will support our future workflows and patient care. If able, we encourage all staff to stop by and experience the fair in person. We will be collecting feedback on ease of use of the devices, so hands-on participation is preferred.
Virtual Alternative
For those unable to attend in person or commute to the Thunder Bay event – presentations from the device manufacturers will be livestreamed from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET. The presentation will also be recorded for future viewing.
