Franco-Ontarian Day is celebrated every year on September 25 to commemorate the anniversary of the inaugural raising of the Franco-Ontarian Flag in 1975 at the University of Sudbury.

Officially recognized by the legislative assembly in 2010, Franco-Ontarian Day is an opportunity to honour Franco-Ontarians, and their contributions to the cultural, historical, social, economic, and political life of the province. It is also a day for Franco-Ontarians to celebrate and take pride in their heritage, which spans over 400 years.

Ontario is home to more than 622,000 Francophones and 1.5 million French-speaking Ontarians—the largest Francophone community in Canada outside of Quebec.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (TBRHSC) is committed to providing care that respects the needs of the Francophone community, including their cultural preferences, values, and linguistic needs. This year, TBRHSC is honoured to have received a French Language Supports grant from Ontario Health, to increase the accessibility of French Language services at our Hospital.

Franco-Ontarian Flag

The Franco-Ontario flag was developed by a history professor and a political science student at the University of Sudbury, Gaétan Gervais and Michel Dupuis, to stand as a symbol of Franco-Ontarian identity and community.

The Franco-Ontarian Flag has a green and white background, which represents summer and winter — the two extremes of Ontario’s climate. A white Fleur-de-lys is featured on the green band, representing French people worldwide. A green trillium on the white band presents the official flower of the province of Ontario.

In 2001, the Franco-Ontarian flag was officially recognized as the emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community.

All events are taking place in the yard outside of Sister Margaret Smith Centre, 301 Lillie St N.

Join us for a powerful short documentary by Sarain Fox.

Date: Wednesday, September 24, 2025
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: ICP Main Meeting Room 2178

Light snacks will be provided, and staff are encouraged to bring their own lunch.

Trigger Warning: This film contains sensitive content about Residential Schools. Support will be available.

To register for this event, email: Annette Klement, Traditional Wellness Coordinator at Annette.Klement@tbh.net.

For more information about Residential Schools, visit:

Hope, Healing and Empowerment.

Residential School History

Indian Residential Schools

Are you interested in learning more about French Language Services at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre? Please stop by our information booth on Friday, September 26 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Information will be available about:

• French language interpretation services for patients and healthcare providers
• French language reimbursement program for staff
• Services from L’Accueil francophone de Thunder Bay

Copies of L’Accueil francophone de Thunder Bay’s English-French “Interpretation Guide for Health Care Professionals” will be available for staff.

Plus, enter our prize draw!

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre greatly values your efforts in providing exceptional care to our community. To show our appreciation, we’ve partnered with Sport Chek to offer you an exclusive employee discount on your purchases.

When: This is a limited time offer from September 18-28, 2025 (in store) for VIP Pricing.

Where: In store only at all Sport Chek locations. The offer is only available in-store and not available on sportchek.ca.

To get your code:

1. All TBRHSC staff will be sent a discount code directly to their TBRHSC email accounts.
2. Professional staff must email TBRHSC.HumanResources@tbh.net before September 26, 2025, to receive their codes.
3. Volunteers must contact Megan Valente at Megan.Valente@tbh.net before September 26, 2025, to receive their codes.

For questions, please contact Kim Myros at Kimberly.Myros@tbh.net.

For more details, see the Sport Chek event information sheet:

Shared on behalf of Medical & Academic Affairs

---

Medical Affairs is thrilled to announce that Dr. Andrea Nelsen has joined Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as a full-time Psychiatrist with the Department of Psychiatry.

Dr. Nelsen earned her Doctor of Medicine from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York and went on to complete a General Psychiatry Residency at Baylor College of Medicine, where she pursued both the Research and Clinician Educator tracks. She subsequently completed an Aerospace Medicine Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and holds certification in Psychiatry and Neurology from the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. In addition, she obtained a Master of Public Health from the University of Minnesota and is a Fellow of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine.

Her diverse professional experience spans private aviation and forensic psychiatry, inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care, and emergency psychiatry at Level 1 trauma centres. Dr. Nelsen has evaluated pilots and air traffic controllers for aviation authorities, she serves as an aviation medical examiner (AME) for the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA), provided forensic psychiatric consultation in both civil and criminal cases, and delivered psychiatric care across rural, community, and tertiary settings in the United States.

An active researcher and educator, Dr. Nelsen has published in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, HIV Medicine, and AIDS Patient Care and STDs. She has presented her work internationally, contributed to WHO clinical protocols, and has held numerous leadership and committee roles in psychiatry associations.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Nelsen to our Hospital and to the Thunder Bay community. Her extensive experience and dedication to advancing psychiatry will contribute to the continued growth of our programs and the excellence of care delivered at TBRHSC.

Shared on behalf of Medical & Academic Affairs

---

Medical Affairs is excited to announce that Dr. Sulaiman Alrashidi has joined Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre as a full-time Interventional Cardiologist with the Department of Internal Medicine.

Dr. Alrashidi completed his Medical Degree at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland before pursuing extensive postgraduate training at McMaster University. His training included Internal Medicine and Cardiology residencies, followed by advanced fellowships in Interventional Cardiology, Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) and Patent Foramen Ovale (PFO) closure, Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR), and Cardiac CT–Structural Interventional Cardiology. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology by both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and the American Board of Internal Medicine.

His research and academic work have contributed to high-impact publications in journals such as JAMA, EuroIntervention, and JSCAI, particularly in the areas of ultrasound-guided vascular access, coronary interventions, and cardiac imaging. He has also presented at international conferences, including EuroPCR in Paris (2024), and co-authored educational resources for trainees in invasive and interventional cardiology.

Throughout his career, Dr. Alrashidi has demonstrated strong leadership, serving as Chief Interventional Cardiology Fellow at McMaster University, leading patient safety and quality initiatives, and actively contributing to medical education as a lecturer, OSCE examiner, and preceptor.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Alrashidi to our Hospital and to the Thunder Bay community. His dedication to advancing heart health, combined with his leadership in education and research, will play a vital role in enhancing patient care and supporting the growth of cardiovascular services in our region.

Boozhoo!

Join the Ontario Native Women’s Association on September 26 to support Truth and Reconciliation Day (Orange Shirt Day). ONWA is hosting a sacred fire to honor all survivors, family members, and friends. The event will include Cedar Tea, Bannock, drumming, and land games. This is a family-friendly gathering with a special focus on honouring our children and youth. There will be activities and games for children throughout the day, creating space for healing, joy, and community togetherness.

Register Today: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/D4UiPvMw17 

Date: September 26, 2025

Time: 11 AM – 2 PM 

Location: 380 Ray Blvd, Thunder Bay

This is a family-friendly gathering with a special focus on honouring our children and youth. There will be activities and games for children throughout the day, creating space for healing, joy, and community togetherness. Lunch will be provided.

This event is a unique opportunity to learn and hear first-hand stories from Peter Sackaney, a survivor of St. Anne’s Residential School.

Participants will hear about Peter’s experiences and gain a deeper understanding of the impact of Indian Residential Schools.

Date: Monday, September 15, 2025
Time: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: ICP Main, Room 2178 (2nd floor)

Registration is required for this event.

For more information, please contact Annette Klement, Traditional Wellness Coordinator at: Annette.Klement@tbh.net.

We look forward to you joining us for this important event.

See the poster below to find out what else is happening at our Hospital this month in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.