News & Blog

On Friday, February 20, 2026, the Huron Perth Chicken Farmers visited the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) office to present a donation of two thousand seven hundred dollars, in support of the Farmers’ Safety and Well-Being program.

On Thursday, February 19, 2026, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) attended the Southwestern Ontario Dairy Symposium in Woodstock, ON. Gateway CERH proudly participated as an exhibitor and delivered a brief presentation, discussing the Farmer’s Safety and Well-Being Program.

We’re excited to share that our Winter 2026 Newsletter is now available to read and download.

On Tuesday, March 3rd, 2026, from 12 - 1 PM via ZOOM, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health is featuring a collaborative conversation on transportation networks and the connection to rural health.

On Friday, February 6, 2026, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) and the Maitland Valley Family Health Team (MVFHT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), establishing a collaborative partnership aimed at advancing rural health through research, education, communication, and innovation.

Gateway CERH upcoming webinar discusses how Rural residents face unique barriers when it comes to accessing cancer information, screening services, and timely treatment. In recognition of these critical gaps, on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026, from 12 - 1 PM via ZOOM, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health will dive into “The Importance of Early Detection: Understanding Cancer Screening and Prevention in Ontario.” 

Managing Medication in Rural Spaces – What You Need to Know. Management of medications as you age can be challenging.

Gateway CERH invites Peter Smith, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity, to discuss rural health, water and creativity.

On Friday, January 9, 2026, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) hosted a volunteer appreciation lunch to recognize the incredible individuals who generously contribute their time, skills, and passion to advancing our mission.

Happy New Year to our wonderful readers and supporters of Gateway CERH! With this change, we often hear about resolutions for a “new year, new me” mindset. It often brings a fresh set of intentions, creating more balance, more self-care, and more moments to pause and reset. Which is the exact energy Gateway CERH has been bringing over the few months with our nourish program. nourish is a wellness program designed to support high school students’ mental, emotional, and physica

Striving to promote the health and well-being of rural youth who are experiencing changes and challenges is Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health’s project, nourish . On Tuesday, January 6 th , 2026, from 12 - 1 PM via ZOOM, Gateway CERH is featuring Amy Sturgeon, Gateway CERH Research Assistant and Project lead on “ nourish : Radiating Wellness in Huron County Youth. ”  Amy Sturgeon discusses how rural youth are experiencing stressors ranging from loneliness to acade

My name is Sage Milne, and I am an MSc student working under the supervision of  Dr. Leith Deacon  at the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development at the University of Guelph. I am also a research assistant at Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) and have worked on various projects such as the Lecture Series and more. I am writing this post as I was hoping for support in promoting the dissemination of a research survey. This survey is concerned with

Left to Right: Laurie Carroll, Alexa Hugill, Nyden Greenfield, Dan Stringer, Michelle Miller, Randy Carroll, & Donna Allen  On December 3, 2025, the team at Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) had the pleasure of visiting Goderich Legion Branch 109 to receive a generous donation valued at $5,000. This support is a significant boost to Gateway CERH’s mission to deliver high-quality programs and research that benefit seniors, veterans, and the wider community. 

Left to Right: Nyden Greenfield, Alexa Hugill, Zehrs Store Manager Jim Bissett, Karissa Overholt, Ava Fitzgerald, & Dan Stringer  On December 1, 2025, the team at Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) had the pleasure of visiting Goderich Zehrs to receive a generous donation of $500 from Store Manager Jim Bissett. This contribution is part of Zehrs’ longstanding support of Gateway CERH and its mission to enhance health, connection, and care across rural communit

Left to Right: Dr. Aaron Daters, Dr. Matt Gray, Dr. Grant Dawson, Dr. Hilary Watson, Dr. Mohmeet Brar, Dr. Jeff McAuley, Dr. Ales Radan, Dr. Mike Dawson, Dr. Tiffaney Kittmer, Dr. Dan Noel, Dr. Tamra Steinmann At a time when rural communities across Ontario are facing unprecedented physician and nursing shortages, Goderich has something truly worth celebrating. On December 4, hospital leaders, local officials, and community members gathered to recognize nine physicians who ha

(L-R) Gateway CERH Volunteer Tom Melady & Stratford Mayor Martin Ritsma On November 26, members of the Huron & Perth community gathered at Mayor Martin Ritsma’s barn in Stratford for the latest S.H.E.D. Talk: Celebrating the Fall Harvest , an event hosted by Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (Gateway CERH) in partnership with Mayor Ritsma. The gathering brought together farmers, neighbours, and community members from across Huron and Perth County to reflect on the

Older Adult Waiting, Media from WIX Huron and Perth Counties are on average older than the general Ontarian population. Over 25% of Huron County’s population is over the age of 65. As a person ages, they require more supports. Availability of these supports in rural communities can be strained from the distance to services and limited access to primary care .  Webinar – Building a Community Coalition for Life Limiting Illness in Huron-Perth  On November 4 th , 2025, Gateway

By Sage Milne Housing  is a major concern in Ontario. There are many people that lack appropriate or adequate housing that suit their life stage or needs. In Huron-Perth, a report  from the Huron County Immigration Partnership revealed that housing was a critical barrier to attracting and retaining workers in rural communities. Increasing appropriate, affordable and attainable housing supply is a key challenge that United Housing, a new not-for-profit in Perth and Huron Count

By Sage Milne Gambling is a popular form of entertainment and recreation. It can include casinos, online slot machines, sports betting and lotteries – and is more accessible  than ever. In 2022, two-thirds of Canadians  reported gambling in the past twelve months. However, gambling can become a problematic behaviour. In 2024, one-in-ten Canadians  reported behaviours that are at a high risk to develop problem gambling.  Webinar – Rural Mental Health: Gambling and Problematic

(l-r) Ava Fiztgerald, Gwen Devereaux, Mayor Martin Ritsma, Madi Cardno After a busy harvest, it’s time to come together, unwind, and catch up with the people who understand farm life best. The next S.H.E.D. Talk: Celebrating the Fall Harvest is all about good food, good company, and great conversation.   On Wednesday, November 26, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., join us at The Mayor’s Barn in Stratford for S.H.E.D. Talk: Celebrating the Fall Harvest, hosted by Gateway Centre of Excel

The Ontario Health Teams in Ontario Health West Region  (OH West Region, also known as Southwestern Ontario) is promoting a online digital health records system. ConnectMyHealth is a free digital health solution that provides patients with an online, single access channel to view their health records from participating hospitals. ConnectMyHealth pulls various types of health records from participating OH West Region hospitals into one, consolidated view; this is as opposed to

Dr. Tejal Patel Technology and medication can difficult to understand and use. On Tuesday, December 2 nd , from 12 - 1 PM via ZOOM, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) welcomes Dr. Tejal Patel to present on “ Taking Charge of Your Medications: What You Need to Know and the Tools That Can Help You.” Dr. Patel is a Clinical Associate P rofessor at the University of Waterloo's School of Pharmacy.  Dr. Patel’s research centers on medication use by older adults. Sh

TVCC provides a variety of publicly funded pediatric services (e.g. PT, OT, Autism Services, Specialty Clinics with LHSC, etc.) in your region. They are hosting a 20-minute virtual session on Thursday December 4 at 12pm to provide information on our services. A Q+A period will follow. This information is intended for referring physicians/nurses and other community providers. There have been some recent changes and they would like to share how this may affect healthcare te

Screening event at the Wingham Fire Department in North Huron Last week, the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) hit the road, embarking on multiple trips to the Municipality of North Huron as part of their Benefitting Rural Area Volunteer Emergency Firefighters (BRAVE-F) health screening initiative. The first stop, the Wingham Fire Station, took place on October 27th, followed by a visit to the Blyth Fire Station on October 30th. Across both evenings, 34 incr