The 2SLBGTQQIA+ Subcommittee and Pride Working Group are pleased to welcome May Fianna, Counsellor and Care Coordinator at Thunder Bay Counselling, and internationally recognized expert in interdisciplinary Gender Affirming Care.
May will be joining us to provide two Lunch & Learn sessions that offer an introduction to working with Trans and Nonbinary patients.
All staff are encouraged to attend the session taking place on June 15, both from 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. A light snack will be provided.
Thank you to all those who participated in week one of Pride Trivia! Check out the answers to the Week 1 Trivia below:
Pride Month Trivia: Week 1 Answers
Thank you to all those who participated in Week 1 of Pride Trivia! Below you will find the answers to last week’s questions.
Question 1: What do the 6 colours of the rainbow on the Pride flag represent?
Answer: The 6 colours of the rainbow on the Pride flag represent:
Red
Life
Orange
Healing
Yellow
Sun or Sunlight
Green
Nature
Blue
Serenity/ Harmony
Purple
Spirit of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community
Question 2: True or False: the 2SLGBTQQIA+ acronym stands for: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Allies
Answer: FALSE. The 2SLGBTQQIA+ acronym stands for: Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual (and other A identities such as Aromantic and Agender). While allies provide instrumental support to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, they are not members of the community, and do not share the struggles of community members, therefore they are not represented in the acronym.
Question 3: In which year was the Pride flag first raised at Parliament Hill in Ottawa?
Answer: The Pride flag was first raised at Parliament Hill in Ottawa in 2016
Question 4: How many colours did the original Pride flag have?
Answer: The original Pride flag was developed by Gilbert Baker in 1978 to stand as a symbol of gay pride. Baker’s flag had 8 colours: hot pink, red, orange, yellow, green, turquoise, blue, and purple
Question 5: How many Canadians over the age of 15 identify as a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community?
Answer: According to Statistics Canada, the number of Canadians over the age of 15 who identify as a member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, is 1.3 million
It is with profound sadness that we acknowledge the passing of Joy Marie Hyvarinen on June 4, 2026.
Joy was an exceptional volunteer with the Hospital Elder Life Program for the past two and a half years. Throughout her time with the program, she demonstrated remarkable kindness, compassion, and dedication to the patients she served. Joy had a warm and caring presence that helped bring comfort, companionship, and dignity to many older adults during their Hospital stay.
She was a valued member of our volunteer team and was known for her reliability, gentle spirit, and genuine concern for the well-being of others. Joy’s willingness to give her time and share her compassion made a meaningful difference in the lives of patients, families, staff, and fellow volunteers alike.
Joy will be deeply missed by her family, friends, colleagues, and all who had the privilege of knowing her. We are grateful for the contributions she made to our Hospital community and for the lasting impact she leaves behind.
Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences are with Joy’s loved ones during this difficult time.
We are making a change to your M365 personal profile to improve collaboration, search, and communication across our organizations. Your company, job title, and department information will now be taken directly from our HR systems and displayed in M365 (for example, in Outlook and Teams).
These fields already exist today for many staff in our directory but going forward they will be updated automatically from our HR systems so that this information stays as accurate and up to date as possible.
This change will occur on Monday, June 22, 2026.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Your M365 profile will now show your primary company (organization), job title, and department.
When you hover over someone’s profile, or open their contact card, you can find out their company, job title, and department.
BENEFITS
Professionalism: Provides a consistent format across the organization.
Visibility: Easier for other staff to identify the right person when there are similar names.
Accuracy: Ensures your details are always up-to-date and reflect your current position.
This information is pulled directly from our HR systems. If you have any questions with your information, please reach out to your Human Resources department.
The Vision Cliffhanger: Saved By … A Gas Bubble? Date: June 9, 2026 Time: 7:00 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Location: Auditorium A/B (3rd Floor) or Teams (click the link on the poster below to join)
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is joining others across Canada to celebrate National Kinesiology Week (June 1-8).
Kinesiologists are regulated health professionals who study human movement and the relationship between physical activity and health. They are committed to enhancing quality of life through the promotion of physical activity and workplace health & safety, the prevention and management of injury and chronic disease, and the overall improvement of health and performance. They are leaders in the prevention of injury and chronic disease; they work with people of all ages and every level of function and physical ability to assess, track, manage and achieve a broad range of personal health goals. Exercise is used to prevent and manage injury and manage chronic disease.
Kinesiologists ultimately aim to encourage the health and wellbeing of individuals through the implementation of movement and exercise. They work with patients to reach their health and personal lifestyle goals. Through body composition testing, the assessment of physical abilities, and the instruction of proper exercise form, kinesiologists ensure that patients are motivated and have the resources required to be healthy and move efficiently.
In a health care system that focuses on remedial care, kinesiologists are becoming increasingly valued as health care providers who focus on preventative care. Many chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and heart diseases can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle including a balanced diet and regular exercise. Kinesiologists have been specially trained as exercise therapists to remove barriers and encourage individuals of all abilities to remain active through all stages of life.
There are kinesiologists working in Programs and Services throughout our Hospital, including Cardiac Rehab (Katherine Chisholm, Duncan Hutchison, Casey Ruberto and Victoria Finley), the Regional Bariatric Care Centre & Paediatric Healthy Living Program (Debbie Walsh), the Maternity Centre (Keri Gerlach), and the Transitional Care Unit (Keri Gerlach, Mark Bystrican, and Katelyn Methot).
Please join us in thanking our kinesiologists for their important contributions to patient care.
We will start off Pride Month with a Kick-Off Booth today until 1:00 p.m., followed by the annual Pride Flag event at 1:00 p.m. Come by the Main Lobby across from Seasons Gift Shop to learn more about the significance of Pride, and to get some Pride goodies.
Check out the poster below for the events being held throughout the month:
