VIRTUAL LECTURE SERIES

This is a monthly, online, free lecture series. It takes place on the first Tuesday of every month from 12:00 - 1:00 pm ET.

Learn from experts on topics concerning the health of rural communities. This is a free event.

Bridging the Distance: Transportation Challenges and Solutions in Rural Regions

Date: March 3rd, 2026

Time: 12 - 1 pm EST, 11 am - 12 pm CST

Description: Dr. Sarah-Patricia Breen, BC Regional Innovation Chair (RIC) in Rural Economic Development at Selkirk Innovates, will be discussing rural transportation funding and the need for public transit.

She is joined by Stephanie Ellens-Clark, Executive Director and Charlene Tolton, Manager of Programs and Services at ONE CARE, a not-for-profit based in Huron and Perth Counties and Stephanie Stewart, Manager of Community Transit at the County of Grey..

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On-Demand Lectures

Virtual Lecture Series: Season 6

Season 6 |Episode 7|2/03/2026

RURAL HEALTH, WATER & CREATIVITY

Peter Smith, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity, shares the success of the "Voice of River" community play project through storytelling.

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Season 6 |Episode 6|1/06/2026

NOURISH: RADIATING WELLNESS IN HURON COUNTY YOUTH

Amy Sturgeon discusses new youth programs that are aimed at promoting the well-being of Huron County youth.

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Season 6 |Episode 5|12/03/2025

MEDICATION MANAGEMENT: WHAT TOOLS ARE BEST?

Dr. Tejal Patel talks about medication managements and what tools are available to you.

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Season 6 |Episode 4|11/04/2025

A COMMUNITY COALITION FOR LIFE-LIMITING ILLNESS

Dr. Erin Donald shares her research into building a community coalition for those experiencing life limiting illness in Huron and Perth Counties.

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Season 6 |Episode 3|10/21/2025

UNITED HOUSING - NOT-FOR-PROFIT IN PERTH-HURON

Kathy Vassilakos, Director of United Housing, shares the efforts of the new not-for-profit to develop affordable housing in rural areas.

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Season 6 |Episode 2|10/07/2025

GAMBLING & PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOURS

Meaghen Brideau, counsellor at the CMHA, shares about the increasing concern of problematic gambling, alongside a greater conversation of rural mental health and addictions.

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Season 6 |Episode 1|09/09/2025

EpiSense - HEALTH FORECASTING

Michael Daley & Alex Kasper, co-founders of EpiSense, share their perspective on developing an innovative digital health product in a rural community.

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Virtual Lecture Series: Season 5

Season 5 |Episode 12| 08/07/2025

WHY RURAL EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS MUST STAY OPEN

Dr. Sarah Giles (SRCP), Dr. Fraser MacKay (CAEP) and Dr. Ken Milne (theSGEM) describe the need for rural emergency departments in rural communities.

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Season 5 |Episode 11| 06/03/2025

THE SOUTHWESTERN ISOTOPE COALITION

Jessica Linthorne shares information on partnerships for the development of medical isotopes and how that can lead to regional economic development.

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Season 5 |Episode 10| 05/06/2025

ONE HEALTH: HUMAN, ANIMAL & ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Dr. Wayne Caldwell, Dr. Quinn Webber, Chris Lee & Nathan Schoelier introduce the concept of One Health and the importance of using a One Health perspective in health research and interventions.

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Season 5 |Episode 9| 04/01/2025

ZOMBIE IDEAS IN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

Dr. Ken Milne explains how certain unscientific ideas keep coming back to life. He talks about the problem of crowding in the emergency department.

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Season 5 |Episode 8| 03/04/2025

RURAL SPORT & RECREATION

Dr. Kyle Rich & David Shulist discuss the diversity and importance of sport and recreation in rural communities, drawing on a specific case study of a hockey tournament in the Madawaska Valley

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Season 5 |Episode 7| 02/04/2025

THE URBAN EXODUS

Dr. Sara Epp shares findings on a research project on the COVID-era migration of people coming from urban spaces to rural communities.

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Season 5 |Episode 6|01/07/2025

THE BRAVE FIREFIGHTERS PROJECT

Dr. Mike Beazely, Meagan Tamming & Neeliah Lewis share early results on the Benefitting Rural Area Volunteer Emergency Firefighters project.

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Season 5 |Episode 5|12/03/2024

RETENTION: WHY IS IT THE KEY TO RECRUITMENT?

Dr. Sarah Newbery, inaugural Associate Dean of Rural Workforce Strategy at the NOSM, describes how we can recruit and retain physicians in rural regions across Canada.

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Season 5 |Episode 4|11/05/2024

PHYSIOTHERAPY, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY & SLP

Dagny Kane Haas (PT), Kathleen Gahagan (OT) and Lauren Somer (SLP), present their practical insight into various forms of rehabilitation healthcare in rural regions.

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Season 5 |Episode 3|10/17/2024

IMMIGRANT HEALTH CARE

Dr. Saleema Allana, professor at the University of Western Ontario, presents on immigrant health facts and examines migrant healthcare access and tele-health.

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Season 5 |Episode 2|10/01/2024

RURAL TRANSPORT MEDICINE

Dr. Sean Moore, emergency physician explores access to healthcare in rural and remote communities including air and land ambulance services.

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Season 5 |Episode 1|09/10/2024

HEALTH IN HURON

David Yates, Casandra Bryant, Dr. Alex Peel & Deb Shelley present on history of healthcare in Huron, health of healthcare workers, dementia and music care.

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Virtual Lecture Series: Season 4

Season 4 |Episode 11|06/04/2024

FROM AGING TO ELDERING

Dr. Al Lauzon initiates a conversation on aging, ageism, wellbeing and what it means to become an elder with wisdom.

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Season 4 |Episode 10|05/07/2024

A SNAPSHOT OF EARLY SETTLEMENT EXPERIENCES

Dr. Rana Telfah shares her doctoral research on the experiences of migrants in regard to education, housing and the workforce in rural communities.

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Season 4 |Episode 9|04/23/2024

PREDICTING & PLANNING FOR END-OF-LIFE CARE

Dr. Meagan Nolan & Dr. Erin Donald talk about palliative, hospice and end-of-life care, what resources are available and why this discussion is important.

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Season 4 |Episode 8|04/09/2024

HOSPITAL-TO-HOME TRANSITIONAL CARE INTERVENTIONS

Mary Fox, PhD, elaborates on her research on transitional care interventions for older adults who may experience cognitive and physical challenges following a hospital stay.

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Season 4 |Episode 7|03/05/2024

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, HEALTHCARE & INEQUALITY

Leslie Walker, PhD candidate, demonstrates the importance of understanding AI and the challenges on the individual and policy level on its use and implementation.

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Season 4 |Episode 6|02/06/2024

ENHANCING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Amanda Mongeon, PhD candidate, presents on her research on how northern municipalities in Ontario respond and have responded to emergencies.

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Season 4 |Episode 5|01/09/2024

SUBSTANCE USE IN PRIMARY & COMMUNITY CARE

Dr. Mike Beazely speaks on cannabis, opioids, and psychedelics and addressing these substances in rural primary and community care settings.

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Season 4 |Episode 4|12/05/2023

SUBSTANCE USE IN RURAL LANDSCAPES

Katie Sparling delves into the current circumstances of both substance use and its connection to homelessness in rural communities.

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Season 4 | Episode 3 |11/07/2023

UNCERTAIN COVID 19 MESSAGES

Dr. Hung Nguyen presents on how flexible and changing public messaging may and have occur when scientific foundations are still unclear and its connection to resiliency.

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Season 4 |Episode 2 | 10/03/2023

ACUTE CARE CENTRALISATION

Dr. Louella Vaughn and Dr. John Browne explore what does the evidence really tell us when its comes to centralising the distribution of healthcare services.

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Season 4 |Episode 1 | 09/12/2023

CULTIVATING MEMORIES

Sage Milne delves into the impact of community gardens on residents in long-term care facilities and retirement residences.

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Season 3 | Episode 10 | 06/20/2023

FABULOUS AT EVERY AGE

Dr. Alex Peel provides information and factors associated with healthy aging, and talks through practical things that you can do to age well at home.

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Virtual Lecture Series: Season 3

Season 3 | Episode 10 | 06/20/2023

FABULOUS AT EVERY AGE

Dr. Alex Peel provides information and factors associated with healthy aging, and talks through practical things that you can do to age well at home.

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Season 3 | Episode 9 | 05/02/2023

THE THREAT OF SCAMS

Pat Redshaw assisted by a police officer panelist, helps identify some of the more common scams and what to do when it happens to you.

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Season 3 | Episode 8 | 04/04/2023

ENHANCING RESILIENCE IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

Sheila Schuehlein & Sarah Versteeg discuss programs developed to reduce social isolation of rural seniors and empower community members to build resiliency.

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Season 3 | Episode 7 | 03/07/2023

AT THE INTERSECTION OF TIME & PLACE

Dr. Scott Brown explores rural geography and place-making, and Gateway CERH's role as a process of change.

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Season 3 | Episode 6 | 02/07/2023

SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Leslie Walker discusses the larger problems and possible solutions that Artificial Intelligence may bring for society with a rural focus.

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Season 3 | Episode 5 | 01/03/2023

S.H.E.D. TALKS LAUNCH

Becky Higgs shares the preliminary results of a Gateway CERH project poised to better Farmers' Mental Health and Well-Being.

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Season 3 | Episode 4 |12/06/2022

RURAL FOOD SECURITY/INSECURITY

Dr. Al Lauzon unveils findings from an investigation into Food Insecurity for Rural Seniors across four rural counties in Southwestern Ontario

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Season 3 | Episode 3 | 11/01/2022

POSTAL CODE MEDICINE

Dr. Ken Milne presents the problems facing rural healthcare delivery in a post-Covid world, equity to access, and some of the possible solutions.

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Season 3 | Episode 2 | 10/11/2022

DISRUPTION & THE WORKFORCE

Dr. Deacon guides us through data collected from surveys of employees an employers in rural Ontario, assessing how their workplaces have changed throughout Covid 19.

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Season 3 | Episode 1 | 09/13/2022

BETTER SUPPORTING 2SLGBTQIA+ OLDER ADULTS

Dr. Ashley Flanagan educates on the unique challenges and social impacts felt by 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults living in rural communities.

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Virtual Lecture Series: Season 2

Season 2 | Episode 10 | 06/07/2022

THE COST OF CARING

Casandra Bryant talks about the unique stressors, supports and challenges faced by rural healthcare workers that have been identified through the pandemic.

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Season 2 | Episode 9 | 05/03/2022

G.R.E.A.T. LOCAL FOOD

Sam Murray & Grace Bonnett provide information on the first phase of the Growing, Raising, Eating, Accessible and Thriving (GREAT) Local food Project.

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Season 2 | Episode 8 | 04/05/2022

DIGITAL HEALTH

Dr. Paul Gill informs on the recent history of virtual visits with your physician, and how the pandemic has expedited the shift to virtual care - doc in a box.

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Season 2 | Episode 7 | 03/01/2022

WHAT MAKES YOU MOVE?

Jay McFarlan discusses his own personal journey in exercise science and outlines some of the motivations and barriers for people wanting to get more physically fit.

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Season 2 | Episode 6 | 02/01/2022

PUMPKIN SEEDS & SLEEP

Dr. Craig Hudson leads a discussion about pumpkins seeds and the importance of getting a good rest

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Season 2 | Episode 5 | 01/11/2022

BUILDING VACCINE CONFIDENCE

Dr. Feng Chang introduces what are the factors influencing people's confidence in the Covid-19 vaccine.

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Season 2 | Episode 4 | 12/07/2021

THE IMPORTANCE OF LOCAL DATA

Dr. Leith Deacon presents preliminary results of a massive rural survey around the subject of well-being and the impacts of COVID-19, and why local data matters.

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Season 2 | Episode 3 | 11/02/2021

GATEWAY INTERACTIVE TIMELINE

Scott Brown showcases a piece of his dissertation work, an interactive historical timeline of Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health.

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Season 2 | Episode 2 | 10/05/2021

TAKING LEISURE SERIOUSLY

Dr. Heather Mair reframes the act of leisure as more than just free time and presents that everyone should have the ability to rest/relax.

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Season 2 | Episode 1 | 09/14/2021

RURAL VACCINE CONFIDENCE

Dr. Feng Chang acknowledges the various factors influencing confidence in the COVID 19 Vaccine.

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Virtual Lecture Series: Season 1

Season 1 | Episode 5 | 06/01/2021

WHERE PEOPLE CAN AGE AT HOME

Dr. Alex Peel highlights some of the cost-efficiencies to the healthcare system of supporting more care at home in Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce Counties.

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Season 1 | Episode 4 | 05/04/2021

RURAL PRECARIOUS EMPLOYMENT & WELLBEING

Dr. Al Lauzon delves into the statistics, causes, and possible solutions to Rural Precarious Employment.

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Season 1 | Episode 3 | 03/06/21

HEALTHY RURAL COMMUNITIES

Dr. Wayne Caldwell talks about some of the innovative practices that make healthy rural communities.

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Season 1 | Episode 2 | 03/02/2021

MESMERIZATION WITH EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE

Dr. Ken Milne presents on what to consider so you are doing evidence-based medicine and how to spot Bad Science

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Season 1 | Episode 1 | 02/02/2021

PHILANTHROPY, WEALTH & PROSPERITY

Dr. Ryan Gibson talks about how rural communities have some great opportunities, as well as some challenges, in philanthropy, wealth, and prosperity.

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Project Goals

Promote Knowledge Sharing in Rural Health

Facilitate lectures that bring together experts, researchers, and healthcare professionals to share the latest insights and innovations in rural health, benefitting both the local community and healthcare practitioners.

Raise Awareness of Rural Health Challenges

Highlight the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities, fostering discussions that inspire new approaches and solutions tailored to these specific needs.

Enhance Community Engagement and Education

Provide accessible, educational opportunities for the public, empowering community members to learn about key health issues, preventative care, and ways to improve their overall well-being.

Create Collaboration Among Health Professionals

Encourage collaboration between rural health practitioners, researchers, and policymakers through networking opportunities at the lecture series, promoting cross-sector partnerships that advance rural healthcare solutions.

Our new Virtual Lecture Series Information Poster is now available for download!

Stay informed and share key updates with your team or community.

Download yours today and help spread the word!

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Project Team

The Lecture Series project team is composed of healthcare professionals, researchers, and community leaders, all dedicated to improving rural health. With expertise spanning various disciplines, the team works collaboratively to organize impactful lectures that address the unique healthcare challenges faced by rural communities. By partnering with local organizations and healthcare institutions, the team creates a platform that promotes education, innovation, and community engagement, driving positive change in rural health outcomes.

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Sage Milne

Research Assistant

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Michele Melady-Young

Gateway CERH Board Member

Jay McFarlan

Gateway CERH Board Member

Karissa Eckert

Operations Manager