Community & Culture

We are IH: Service, strength and a dose of horsepower

July 3, 2025
Chantal and her husband Frank.

Name: Chantal-Michelle Holt (she/her/hers)
Job Title: Administration Clerk/Medical Office Assistant
Length of Service: 8.5 years
Worksite: Barriere Health Centre
Community: Barriere
Ancestral Territory: Secwepemc

Chantal has called Secwepemc territory home her entire life. Her deep connection to the land and community has guided both her personal journey and career path. For Chantal, reconciliation means something beautifully simple and profound: “That no matter what colour our skin, gender or nationality, we all get along.”

Chantal’s path to health care was shaped by a deep desire to help others through some of their hardest moments. After joining Interior Health as a housekeeper at Royal Inland Hospital, it didn’t take long for her determination and heart to shine through. Within her first year, she was asked to step into a supervisory role—a proud moment that would set the tone for what was to come.

Driven by a dream to work closer to home, she began picking up every shift she could.

“Sometimes I would sleep for a few hours in my car between doubles,” she recalls.

Learn more about Chantal’s journey with IH

A person wearing sunglasses and a helmet rides a brown horse with a white nose in a grassy forest in spring.
Chantal and her horse Izzy.

That persistence paid off when a position opened at the Barriere Health Centre, just 10 minutes from her doorstep. And when she learned the centre would become a primary care site, she took the initiative to complete her medical office assistant (MOA) training to prepare herself to serve her community even more directly.

Today, Chantal greets patients with warmth, ensures their visits go smoothly and helps them navigate the health-care system with compassion and care. Whether she’s registering patients, coordinating exams or filling meal orders, she’s always focused on connection.

I love to hear people’s stories. Helping them navigate the health-care system and get the most out of it—that’s what keeps me going.

-- Chantal-Michelle Holt

Among her proudest achievements? Launching a strong and sustainable meal program in Barriere, ensuring people in the community have access to good, nutritious meals.

Outside of work, Chantal lives her childhood dream: riding and showing her horse. She competes in ranch horse, Western and English pleasure, and this year marks a big leap: her first full season competing with her new horse. Last year, after only five weeks of owning her mare, she placed first in her class for reining—an achievement made even sweeter when the judge told her it was the best run of the day.

A person wearing glasses and a cowboy hat stands next to a brown horse with a white stripe on its nose. The person holds an award.
Chantal and her horse Major.

Whether she’s helping a patient feel heard or chasing her next ribbon in the ring, Chantal radiates purpose, drive and joy.

“What’s most important to me is being happy—with life, hobbies, family and work.”

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