Elder Pauline Shirt was a grandmother, community activist, teacher, mother of Indigenous Harm Reduction Activist Les Harper, and beloved to many. She received the Order of Ontario for her lifetime of “timely and earnest contributions to Indigenous education, cultural revitalization and holistic wellness within Indigenous communities while building relationships and understanding across diverse peoples.” Pauline was the founder of Kapapamahchakwew Wandering Spirit School, an Indigenous-led alternative school rooted in Indigenous knowledge and teachings for Indigenous students. Pauline led countless ceremonies at Moss Park before and after it became a sanctioned site, and continually provided medicines, food, and many wellness gifts to the Moss Park community. Pauline’s generosity with her care and teachings was deeply felt by everyone in the Moss Park community. Her wisdom, compassion, and strength reverberated throughout our work together. Our hearts are with her family, friends, and communities in this time of grief.
MATCH Program: Spotlight on Jenn Brewer RM (she/her)
This year, midwife Jenn Brewer joined the South Riverdale Community Health Centre’s MATCH program’s new Green Team which focuses on prenatal care in late pregnancy, labour, birth and postpartum care for birth parents and infants. Jenn, an exceptional and experienced midwife, is now co-leading the Green Team with her dynamic and dedicated colleague, Carmi Magnaye.
“I have loved my first few months working with clients, the other midwives, our wonderful social worker, Deborah, as well as all the other compassionate health care providers at SRCHC. I’m looking forward to celebrating my one year anniversary with the MATCH program in January,” shares Jenn.
In addition to her midwifery practice, Jenn is in the process of completing a Master’s degree in counseling psychology. She has a particular interest in and focus on improving Black maternal and infant health, and is engaged in ongoing work at Michael Garron Hospital (where all of SRCHC’s midwives have staff privileges) with the goal of improving outcomes for Black families in midwifery and obstetrics.
“I wasn’t sure I would continue with my midwifery practice once I finished my graduate work in counseling psychology, but joining the MATCH Program was an exciting opportunity to continue to practice with a focus on serving families facing a variety of barriers to accessing excellent healthcare. The MATCH Program also offered me the chance to integrate all of my various skills and interests, including registered massage therapy, on a multidisciplinary team,” explains Jenn.
Memorial Tribute to Elder Wanda Whitebird
Elder Wanda Whitebird was a friend, a mentor, and a passionate harm reduction advocate who dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of Indigenous peoples. Wanda tirelessly fought for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2-spirited peoples, people living with HIV, people experiencing incarceration, and people who use drugs. Wanda was the 2023 recipient of the Casey Award for leadership in social justice and harm reduction for the HIV/AIDS community. For 19 years, Wanda led the annual Strawberry Ceremony to honour the lives and call for justice for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and 2-spirited peoples. Introduced to SRCHC by her brother, long-time Indigenous Health Promoter Les Harper, Wanda supported our organization in countless ways for many years, helping guide our ongoing journey toward reconciliation. Wanda supported across many projects at SRCHC over the years, including Northern Feathers, a regalia making project for Indigenous women accessing harm reduction programming. Her generosity, authenticity, and kindness has touched our staff and service users. We offer our deepest condolences to Wanda’s family, friends and the many communities she inspired. We will remember her unconditional love, her teachings, her laugh, and her strength.
“Harm Reduction is Unconditional Love”: Community Screenings of Short Film Northern Feathers
In recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) held screenings of the short film Northern Feathers: Love, Culture, Harm Reduction for community members at 955 Queen St E and 2 Gower St locations.
In the spring of 2022, SRCHC created a first-of-its-kind program that brought together Indigenous women who use drugs and provided a space for their inclusion in cultural activities from a harm-reduction framework. Northern Feathers follows this group of women on their transformative journey as they learn to dance and create their own regalia (the traditional clothing and accessories worn by Indigenous people at dances and cultural events). Throughout the short film, the women and project staff share their deeply personal experiences of cultural reclamation and Indigenous community-building.
The program’s philosophy, was articulated by the late Elder Wanda Whitebird, who provided guidance to the project: “Harm reduction is not about drugs … it’s about unconditional love and about being there on your own terms.” For those unable to attend a screening, the film is now available on YouTube.
Both screenings served traditional Indigenous food and drink, including bannock, bear paws and cedar tea. The evening screening on October 2nd opened with a thoughtful few words from Toronto-Danforth MPP Peter Tabuns who shared his passionate support for harm reduction services and the important impact they have on our most vulnerable community members.
The memorable evening also featured a performance by Indigenous drummer, Isaiah Cada, and a panel discussion with the film director, Jason Cipparrone, executive producer, Les Harper, and the late Elder Wanda Whitebird, who provided special guidance for the program which the film was based on.
During the Q&A session, audience members and panelists engaged in a thought-provoking discussion about the importance of harm reduction programs, which will become even more essential following the slated closure of at least 10 Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) sites across the province by March 31, 2025, including KeepSIX.
Cultivating Community and New Skills at Harmony Community Food Centre’s Garden Club
The garden club at Harmony Community Food Centre (CFC) is always up to something interesting. Whether making preserves in the kitchen, harvesting fruits and vegetables in the garden, saving seeds in the basement, visiting an urban farm or picking local fruit in the neighbourhood, they are cultivating community and learning new skills together.
This season, the garden club also focused on preserving the harvests and sweet tastes of summertime, and they made four batches of jam including apply jelly, purple jam, cherry bomb jam and sweet tart jam. When the group is busy in the kitchen, all of Harmony CFC starts to smell like sweet jam, and everyone enjoys the deliciousness of their collective efforts. The jam is also available at the Good Food Market, and this helps Harmony CFC keep market prices more affordable for community members who benefit from the services.
By learning new skills, about half the garden club’s current members have started growing food on their windowsills, balconies or in their own gardens. One member, Debby, grew okra on her balcony that grew almost 16 centimetres long. In the spring, another member brought baby seedlings for other community members to take home. These kind gestures are just some of the many ways in which members of the garden club work together to teach and support one another.
The garden club meets twice weekly at our 2 Gower St location and offers a wide variety of garden and garden-related activities that change with the seasons. Please contact Sarah at [email protected] for more information.
The MATCH Program Celebrates our 6 Year Anniversary with 6 Midwives
The MATCH (Midwifery and Toronto Community Health) Program at South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) is celebrating its six-year anniversary in 2024. Beginning as a team of four midwives in 2018, the MATCH Program has now grown to a team of six and with the support of a full-time social worker – each of us working together to catch babies while expanding our services to Michael Garron Hospital and the Toronto Birthing Centre.
The MATCH Program offers a variety of services related to pregnancy care including prenatal care, labour, birth and postpartum care for birth parents and infants, and spontaneous and therapeutic abortion care. Additionally, SRCHC midwives provide STI screening and treatment, routine Pap tests, counseling and referrals for birth control, and we run a monthly drop-in vaccine clinic for pregnant people without health insurance or a primary care provider.
One of the cherished traditions that makes our service special is the birthing bead ritual. Families receiving MATCH program midwifery care are invited to choose a unique bead to mark the birth of their new babies and to be included in a display at our 955 Queen St E location. This tradition celebrates our growing community and recognizes that we are all treaty people, subject on this territory to the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant. Recently, individuals receiving abortion care have also been given the option to select a bead – and now hundreds of beads have come together to symbolize each giver’s loving wish for strength, peace or joy.
If you have a uterus and need healthcare, midwives at SRCHC can help take care of you. Please visit srchc.com/match for more information.
Birthing beads selected by clients receiving care from the MATCH Program, on display at 955 Queen St E.
Let’s Keep Talking: KeepSIX CTS Slated for Closure March 31, 2025
After the Ontario government’s announcement on August 20th, 2024 to close down 10 consumption and treatment sites (CTS) by March 31st, 2025, including SRCHC’s KeepSIX service, SRCHC immediately developed and distributed a community engagement survey to signal the change, gather input from the community and gauge perceptions about the closure’s potential impact.
We received 213 responses to the informal survey. These responses included many helpful comments about ways SRCHC can improve our communication approaches and increase community engagement opportunities.
On November 18th, 2024, the government tabled Bill 223 that, if passed, will ban CTS from operating within 200 metres from a childcare centre or school. SRCHC will focus on connecting service users with additional health and social services while keeping the community engaged and accurately informed in preparation for the projected closure.
Evidence shows that consumption and treatment services prevent overdose deaths. According to the City of Toronto, there were 523 overdose deaths in 2023. In just the month of September 2024, Toronto paramedics responded to 358 non-fatal and 11 fatal calls for suspected opioid overdoses. Supervised consumption sites are an essential part of the continuum of services for people who use drugs and alleviate pressure on emergency services, like paramedics, emergency departments, and police. We also know that communities will continue to need overdose response, ongoing substance use care, medically-assisted detox, treatment services, trauma and mental health supports, shelters, and supportive and affordable housing with integrated harm reduction supports.
Social determinants of health, such as homelessness and poverty, are continuing to impact people across Toronto. We are seeing a greater need for and higher complexities across the many services SRCHC provides. SRCHC remains committed to enacting our values of reconciliation and relationship, health equity and social justice, evidence and value informed practice, and meaningful engagement to lead systems transformation.
As part of ongoing dialogue with our community members, we will be hosting a new series of Common Grounds – regular community meetings to hear neighbourhood feedback – which will focus on the impact of the anticipated March 31st, 2025 closure of KeepSIX at 955 Queen Street East.
“The safety of our clients, staff and neighbours is critically important to all of us. We are listening to and incorporating feedback from our various communities throughout the planning process,” explained Gabriella Skubincan, SRCHC’s Director, Community Engagement and Communications.
Please hold the date of Tuesday, December 17, 2024 from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm in your calendar for the next Common Grounds. If you are interested in being added to our mailing list, newsletter, or would like to RSVP for this meeting, please contact, [email protected]. A complete schedule will be available on www.srchc.com/communityengagement. Stay tuned for more information on upcoming overdose response training for community members.
CEO Announcement
South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC)’s Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the appointment of Shannon Wiens to the role of Chief Executive Officer, following a consultation with health system partners, community members and staff to understand what leadership qualities and professional experiences are needed to bring SRCHC in the future, coupled with a comprehensive and open recruitment process. She will assume her responsibilities effective immediately.
An accomplished healthcare leader and change agent, Shannon brings extensive experience in fostering strategic partnerships, driving innovation and implementing transformative solutions that focus on bringing positive change and enhancing the client experience.
“In my time on the Board, Shannon has demonstrated a deep knowledge and commitment to South Riverdale CHC and its values,” said Emily Hill, Board Chair. “We believe she is well positioned to step into this new role and provide the collaborative and consultative leadership that is needed right now, and in years to come.”
Demonstrating a strong commitment to capacity building and serving the most vulnerable in our communities, Shannon believes that the social determinants of health are critical to achieving health equity for all. Her innovative and responsive leadership style will ensure SRCHC continues setting and executing an inspiring organizational vision and nurturing a high- performing employee culture.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to take South Riverdale CHC into its next chapter. Our organization has been a transformative health systems leader for more than 48 years. I intend to continue with this clear vision and evolve it even further,” says Shannon Wiens, SRCHC’s new CEO. “We have many outstanding programs and services in chronic disease, community health and mental health and substance use that we can leverage to chart a path forward to reduce health inequities and improve health outcomes for communities in East Toronto.”
Shannon Wiens, formerly SRCHC’s Vice-President, Strategy and Systems, has worked in the community health sector for over 30 years in a variety of roles, including developing integrated health systems, and working for three of the social planning councils in Toronto early in her career. She has extensive experience volunteering and chairing several community-based not-for-profit Boards of Directors in Toronto, including Social Planning Toronto. She is a graduate of the University of Toronto Planning Program (MscPI) and the Rotman School of Business Community Health Leaders Program.
SRCHC’s Board would also like to thank Jennifer Bowman, who has been Interim CEO since July 2024, for her steady and strong leadership during this time of transition.
Congratulations, Shannon!
UPDATE: Progress Made on Safety and Community Initiatives
South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) has moved forward on several environmental, safety, and community engagement activities as part of a comprehensive quality improvement process over the past year.
“Quality improvement is an ongoing process, it is not an end-state,” said Kathleen Foley, Director of Quality Accountability and Evaluation, “but we did want to report on several successful initiatives and to recognize the work that has been done by our staff, volunteers and community partners over the past several months.”
In terms of environmental safety, SRCHC has expanded the presence of trained alternative security staff on site from 6am to midnight every day, with staff conducting hourly needle sweeps in the immediate area of the health centre. Neighbourhood security walks within an expanded area have also been initiated.
Working with Toronto Police Services, SRCHC has improved the external environment and added lighting and security cameras, improved sightlines, and has fenced off the area between the health centre and Queen Street Presbyterian Church. SRCHC has also added needle boxes and introduced needle sweeps twice daily within an extended perimeter.
“This year we refreshed and relaunched our community liaison committee (CLC),” said Sarah Grieg, Director of Substance Use and Mental Health. “The involvement of our neighbours and key community organizations has made a real difference. The CLC has been and will continue to be an important part of our improvements.”
The CLC was relaunched in December and is co-chaired by SRCHC’s CEO and a community member. The health centre has also hosted four open houses so far this year to inform the community about the Centre’s work and to hear directly from local residents and businesses.
For more information on SRCHC’s Quality Improvement Initiatives, please visit www.srchc.ca/community-engagement
The Women’s Cancer Screening Program Receives Excellent Feedback from Clients
The Women’s Cancer Screening Program at South Riverdale Community Health Centre (SRCHC) began in 2004 as an initiative to promote breast cancer awareness in East Toronto. The program was created in response to community need for cancer screening conducted by women clinicians. Since 2004, the program has evolved to facilitate two cancer screening clinics for women every month, staffed by two Nurse Practitioners. Interpreters are available for clients who speak languages other than English.
Over 1,000 women have participated in the screening program over the years, many of whom have reported excellent feedback about the program. From the 2023-2024 survey, 94% of clients would consider coming back for a screening and 90% would recommend the program to other women who could benefit from the service. The processes of booking, registration, screening and education have also been highly rated. One client commented that “staff were helpful, knowledgeable and all instructions were clear,” while another noted that “everyone made an uncomfortable exam more relaxed. Thank you.”
Cancer screening tests are important for all women, as screening tests can help detect some types of cancer in early stages, which may lead to earlier treatment, reduced disease severity and improved health outcomes. For more information about cancer screening and provincial recommendations, please visit cancercareontario.ca/en. For more information about the Women’s Cancer Screening program at SRCHC or to book an appointment for a pap smear, please contact Grace at 647-642-8196.