Stories Listing Page

Shawna Biron, far right, with colleagues (L-R) Debbie Whitehead, Shannon Statham and Terri Domin at a recent Ktunaxa Nation Letter of Understanding meeting.

Sewing the symbolic ribbon skirts for Indigenous volunteers at this year's International Overdose Awareness Day events in Kelowna Kori Smith is the mother of two young children, and expecting her third. Born in Portage la Prairie, Man., treaty to Long Plain First Nation, she is of Ojibwe and Cree ancestry. She now lives in Kelowna. As a member of KANDU (Knowledging All Nations and Developing Unity) and a peer advisor for Interior Health’s mental health and substance use network, Kori understands the importance of International Overdose Awareness Day. “August 31 is an important day for me because I have family who have overdosed in the past. One who has since passed away and the other who is still addicted to drugs,” says Kori. “It is a great way to spread awareness and be there for the ones we care about and love and to remind them that they are not forgotten.”  With support from the mental health and substance use network, Kori and her sister have sewn 10 purple ribbon skirts for Indigenous peer volunteers to wear for the Kelowna International Overdose Awareness Day events. “I recently started ribbon skirt making by learning from my koko (grandma) Lorraine Daniels. She is a residential school survivor and is also the executive director of the National Residential School of Canada in Portage la Prairie, Man.,” explains Kori.

Dr. Anders Ganstal enjoying his favourite winter activity - skiing Name: Dr. Anders Ganstal (he/him/his) Job Title: Emergency Physician, Clinical Assistant Professor for UBC Department of Emergency Medicine, Regional Medical Director for the British Columbia Emergency Health Services (BCEHS) Interior Years of Service: 17 Worksite: Royal Inland Hospital Community: Kamloops Ancestral Territory: Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Favourite Quote/Advice to live by: Live for today, plan for tomorrow With the ultimate goal of improving patient care, Dr. Anders Ganstal leverages his local and regional leadership roles to advance large-scale health-care initiatives. Referencing one of his favourite sports, Anders shares, “Quality improvement is similar to mountain biking. When you look up to the top from the bottom, it’s quite overwhelming. It’s one step at a time; that’s how you get to the top of the mountain.”  For this physician leader, it’s the contribution of every single person and each incremental step in the right direction that help push a change initiative forward. 

Senior woodworking students at Clearwater secondary participated in a project to build keepsakes for parents who lose babies at birth A short lifetime of memories are attached to a project undertaken by Clearwater woodwork students last spring for grieving parents at Royal Inland Hospital. For the students who carefully handcrafted the beautiful memory boxes, it taught knowledge and skills and also compassion in the face of deep sorrow. For parents leaving the hospital with only memories of a baby, it provides a beautiful, engraved keepsake – a place to store tangible remembrances like photographs, clothing or tiny hand and foot prints. Clearwater secondary school teacher Dayton Fraser was first approached about the woodworking project by a colleague whose daughter, Keira Geiger, was a nurse working on a preceptorship (practical experience and training) in the obstetrical unit (OB) at Royal Inland Hospital (RIH). The idea was to build memory boxes and donate them to the hospital where they could be given to parents going home with only a broken heart. Dayton, who is always on the lookout for projects that will engage students and teach them their craft, eagerly embraced the concept. “It was a great project for our senior woodworking students. It got them on every machine from table saws to lasers for engraving and it gave them insight into life circumstances,” he said. “It’s such a tragedy to lose a child and these students were really motivated to build a beautiful keepsake that these parents would be able to cherish forever.” Fifteen students participated in the project and they did an “awesome job.” Each one is engraved with a butterfly and some other design, such as a baby toy or teddy bear. Dayton said it took longer than anticipated and not every student completed their box, but those boxes will go into the inventory for next semester. As the project progressed, Keira completed her preceptorship and Dayton remained in contact with the OB clinical practice lead, Val Kloska. In July, she was excited to get a call from him, saying he was ready to drop off the first instalment of the memory boxes. When he arrived at the new labour and delivery unit in the Phil & Jennie Gaglardi Tower, he was met enthusiastically by Val and the labour and delivery team who understand just how much the boxes will mean to devastated parents. “It was such an amazing project for both the school and the obstetrical unit,” said Teressa Allwood, clinical operations manager, maternal and child services. “These memory boxes will support our families during the hardest times of their lives.” The project will continue during the next school year and be more streamlined. “I’ve been able to fine-tune the process for next year. The first time I do a project, I’m learning the whole time,” said Dayton. The project also epitomizes community, which is important for Dayton as a teacher. The wood came from the property of a retired doctor, known in Clearwater as “Dr. Bob” (MacKenzie). During COVID when students were not in school – with Dr. Bob’s consent – social studies teacher Sylvain Menard and Dayton took down the trees, which was on the path of the Trans Mountain pipeline. Dayton, metalwork and automotive teacher Bryn Leary, and retired woodworking teacher Brent Buck milled it with Brent’s portable sawmill. Dayton views the memory box concept as reflective of the philosophy he learned from his predecessor, Brent. “We teach our kids skills and knowledge, but what is the point if we are not using those skills and knowledge to give back to our communities?”