Wrapping up Season 5
- Sage Milne
- Jun 25
- 6 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
On June 6th, 2025, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health wrapped up our final online lecture for Season 5 of the ongoing rural health lecture series. Since 2021, Gateway CERH has hosted this speakers’ series to promote knowledge translation of concepts, ideas and programs surrounding rural health. Topics have ranged from healthy living to healthcare systems, to economic development and community gardening. To that effect, Gateway CERH has partnered with many groups and academic institutions to organize speakers and webinars on a wide range of topics.
These webinars take place on the first Tuesday of every month from 12 – 1 PM ET for a lunchtime event. For Season 5 from September 10th, 2024, to June 6th, 2025, Gateway CERH hosted eleven webinar events. With another year wrapped up, here are seven big reflections from the series
Number 1: Hosting an In-person Event
On September 10th, 2024, Gateway CERH hosted an in-person lecture series event at the Huron County Museum in Goderich. This was a great way to kick-off the season and connect to many folks who have been tuned in online. The webinar was streamed on local channels including Hurontel.
Speakers included local historian, David Yates, Gateway CERH Research Chair, Casandra Bryant, rural Geriatrician, Dr. Alex Peel, and Deb Shelley accompanied by Solace, a choir of beside singers.
Number 2: Building Capacity in Northern Ontario
Rural and remote areas in Canada face many key issues in healthcare access. Rural areas are geographically dispersed, and struggle to recruit and retain healthcare providers. Gateway CERH invited two different speakers to discuss the challenges of working in these rural and remote spaces and how capacity can be built to promote rural health.
Dr. Sean Moore in “Rural Transport Medicine” shared information about ORNGE Ambulance, a critical Emergency Medical Service. He promoted a systems thinking lens and why a regional perspective is needed when discussing access to healthcare services. He talked about land, air and even dog-sled teams to transport the critically ill.
Dr. Sarah Newbery, the inaugural Associate Dean of Physician Workforce Strategy at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University, presented a lecture on “Retention - Why is it the Key to Recruitment?” She discussed how retaining physicians in rural spaces makes it possible to recruit other physicians to the area. She provides links to many key resources that can aid in retaining and recruiting physicians in rural areas.
Learning from these webinar events, healthcare access in rural spaces needs to be examined from both access to primary healthcare providers (ex. Family physicians) and regional emergency services for the critically ill.
Number 3: Newcomers to Rural Communities
Two webinar topics this year were brought to Gateway CERH from the University of Guelph and the Huron County immigration Partnership Manager regarding newcomers in rural spaces. They identified these two topics as emerging concerns and opportunities.
An odd phenomenon emerged following the COVID-19 pandemic; some rural spaces grew rapidly in population. Gateway CERH was able to provide a key discussion on this topic for rural municipalities and organizations to plan for population changes and make communities more welcoming.
Dr. Sara Epp from the University of Guelph presented “The Urban Exodus”. She discussed how many folks decided to leave the city and live in rural areas. This was observed from an increase in school enrollments and pressure on wastewater systems. Some people only came for a few years to rural areas, while others stayed permanently.
Another key topic of discussion was “Immigrant Health Care” presented by Dr. Saleema Allana from the University of Western Ontario. She discussed how many newcomers to rural areas face challenges in accessing healthcare services ranging from language barriers to cultural differences. Mark Nonkes from the Huron County Immigration Partnership was able to supplement this discussion with a survey through the University of Guelph about the experience of newcomers in the Huron County space.
Building communities to welcome newcomers, from urban areas or internationally, can make communities vibrant and thrive.
Number 4: Most Popular Webinars
The two most popular webinars this year included “Zombie Ideas in the Emergency Department” and “Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Language Pathology”.
Dr. Ken Milne is an emergency physician and host of the popular podcast series, the Skeptics’ Guide to Emergency Medicine. He brought his signature sense of humour to communicate the serious topic of “crowding” in the emergency department.
Dagny Haas, Kathleen Gahagan and Lauren Somers, a Physiotherapist, an Occupational Therapist and a Speech Language Pathologist respectively. They brought in a great perspective as practitioners in rural spaces and what that can mean for their delivery of care.
Gateway CERH promotes discussion on a range of topics, both from a broader overview of problems within healthcare systems and on what local practitioners do to promote health.
Number 5: Sharing Results from the BRAVE Firefighters’ Project
Research assistants, Neeliah Lewis and Meagan Tamming had an opportunity to share their work on the Benefitting Rural Area Volunteer Emergency (BRAVE) Firefighters project. They were accompanied by Dr. Mike Beazely from the University of Waterloo’s School of Pharmacy who has acted as a key advisor to the BRAVE Firefighters’ Project. Gateway CERH has been actively hosting health promotion and screening events at local fire halls to promote health of the firefighters and create a case study analysis of rural health spaces.
This webinar event created a great opportunity to promote knowledge translation of the health interventions by Gateway CERH within our community.
Number 6: Exploring Communities
A key idea throughout the webinars was a discussion on what can make rural communities great places to live. One lecture, in particular, highlighted key delight you can find in rural communities. Dr. Kyle Rich from Brock University discussed “Rural Sport and Recreation." Throughout the webinar, attendees shared sporting events or recreations that are unique to their community.
Gateway CERH brought together many speakers to talk about the concept of “One Health.” One Health is a concept that connects the health of humans to the animals and the environment. Dr. Wayne Caldwell, Dr. Quinn Webber, Chris Lee and Nathan Schoelier explored the health of rural communities from the perspective of humans, the perspective of animals and through the natural environment.
Number 7: Promoting Partnerships
Gateway CERH could not do the lecture series without partnerships and a shared vision of promoting health. For the last webinar of Season 5, Gateway CERH featured a presentation by Jessica Linthorne on the Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition. This webinar provided an understanding of how partnerships can be instrumental in initiating change and regional economic development.
This webinar series would not be possible without the generous support of McGee Motors Goderich, MacEwan & Feagan Insurance Brokers, Hurontel, Lighthouse Money Management, Goderich, DeJager Town Square IDA Pharmacy, Goderich, Zehrs Goderich, CIBC Wealth Management, Libro Credit Union, Pharmasave, Clinton, Legion Branch 109, Hay Communications and Tuckersmith Telecommunications.
Hurontel, Tuckersmith and Hay Communications often go above and beyond and share the webinar series on their various channels, allowing for far greater outreach.
Season 5 Full List of Lectures
About Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Founded in 2008 in the community of Seaforth, ON, Gateway CERH is a not-for-profit rural health research organization run by a community-based volunteer board of directors. Gateway CERH's main mission is to better the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and communication. Learn more on the Gateway CERH website at: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/ and follow on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube
A brief disclaimer: the views expressed in these lectures may not necessarily reflect Gateway CERH’s views or opinions, but we believe in providing a platform for a range of perspectives and thoughtful discussion.
Gateway CERH has a full library of lectures and information about the upcoming presentation that can be found on our website: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/lectureseries
Or watch all past lectures online on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GatewayCERH/videos
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