News & Blog

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) is hosting an upcoming webinar series event on Tuesday, September 15th, 2026, from 12 – 1 PM ET via ZOOM. The topic is “Housing and Homelessness in Huron County: Plans and Progress.” This session will focus on the unique challenges of responding to housing and homelessness in rural areas, and the need for appropriate servicing of mental health services.

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (Gateway CERH) proudly held its annual White Paper Day & Donor Appreciation event on August 14, 2026, at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Goderich, Ontario. Sponsored by Libro Credit Union, the event brought together staff, donors, community partners, healthcare professionals, business leaders, service club representatives, and family members to celebrate the achievements of Gateway CERH’s research assistants and the community that make

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health is pleased to welcome a new Student Research Assistant to its Summer 2026 team. Over the course of the summer, she will support Gateway CERH’s impactful community projects and initiatives that promote research, community engagement, and rural health innovation across our local regions.

We’re excited to share that our Summer 2026 Newsletter is now available to read and download. This edition contains updates and highlights from the past couple of months; from recent milestones and community stories to opportunities to get involved, there’s plenty to explore!

On May 26, 2026, the Lions Club of Goderich presented Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) board members and staff with a donation of $15,000.

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) is excited to welcome a new group of students to its Summer 2026 team. These talented students bring diverse experiences, innovative ideas, and a strong commitment to advancing health and well-being in rural communities. In addition, Gateway CERH is pleased to officially welcome Alexa Hugill as Marketing and Communications Coordinator, who joined Gateway CERH in November.

In 2024, there were 26.8 million motor vehicles registered in Canada. Rural areas have sparse, dispersed populations. Residents rely on ownership of private vehicles to get to work, home, school and recreation. According to the Ontario Living Wage network, the Southwest region of Ontario is considered to have one of the highest annual transportation costs. A family of four has an estimated annual transportation expense of $13,419!

On Monday, April 27, 2025, the BRAVE-F team kicked off a new year of screenings with a visit to the Zurich Firehall. This event marked both the first screening of the year and the 12th since the program began, as a part of our organizations commitment to screen firehalls throughout Huron County.

Five counties in Ontario, Bruce, Dufferin, Grey, Perth, and Wellington are leading the way towards sustainable transportation. On Tuesday, May 5th, 2026, from 12 - 1 PM via ZOOM, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health will explore the complex relationships between “Climate Change, Planning for EV’s and Community Health.”

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health awarded $100,000 to scale cancer screening access for rural and remote communities across Canada.

On Friday, March 27, 2026, Karissa Overholt officially transitioned to Operations Manager with Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH).

On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH) presented at the Goderich Legion on “Travel and Technology,” exploring how digital tools are transforming the way we plan, navigate, and experience travel.

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

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

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

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