Mark your calendar — you’re invited to the final Town Hall of the season on Tuesday, June 16 at 2:00 p.m.
This special edition will highlight the progress we have made in the fourth year of our Strategic Plan 2026 (SP2026). Additionally, as we enter the final months of SP2026, this session will serve as an opportunity to gain your insight on the next Strategic Plan.
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)
