
Hon. Sylvia Jones
Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Government of Ontario
Minister Jones has worked with health care partners from across Ontario to:
- Introduce A Plan to Stay Open, Ontario’s five-point plan to strengthen the health care workforce and stabilize the health system by providing faster access to care and more options for care in the community
- Make it easier and faster for health care workers trained in Ontario, other provinces, and internationally to register and practise in Ontario
- Expand pharmacist scope of practice to prescribe and treat 13 common ailments, such as rashes, pink eye, and sprains
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- Fund annual operating for 27 new MRI machines in hospitals across Ontario, to reduce wait times and increase access
- Advance 50 hospital redevelopment projects that will create more than 3,000 new hospital beds within the next 10 years
Minister Jones previously served as Solicitor General from 2019-2022, where she championed public safety initiatives, including leading the country with a $307 million anti-human trafficking strategy and legislation, and passing Canada’s toughest animal protection legislation.
Minister Jones has lived in Dufferin-Caledon for over 30 years with her husband, David.

Sean Wachtel
Chief Public Health Officer, Nunavut
Dr. Sean Wachtel is the Chief Public Health Officer for the Territory of Nunavut. Originally from the UK, he trained first in Internal Medicine and Family Practice before serving five years in the Royal Air Force during the global War on Terror, deploying on several continents. After immigrating to Canada in 2009, he worked in rural BC for five years before retraining in Public Health and Preventive Medicine at UBC. Prior to appointment in Nunavut, Sean worked for the First Nations Health Authority and Interior Health in BC.

Steph Ouellet
VP Strategic Partnerships, Middlesex Hospital Alliance
Steph Ouellet is the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at the Middlesex Hospital Alliance. He is an experienced leader with over 20 years of experience in areas of strategic planning, project/change management, financial/HR operations, communications & social media, and governance. Through increasingly challenging leadership roles in financial services, healthcare, and information technology sectors, he has built a reputation of delivering results and building trust.
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Steph holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honours in Management Information Systems from the University of Ottawa, and a Masters of Business Administration from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University. He also holds the Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation from the Canadian College of Health Leaders.
Steph has also been involved in numerous volunteer/board activities, more recently as board chair of the London Regional Children’s Museum and a regional cabinet member of the Elgin-Middlesex United Way.

Diana Urajnik
Research Director, Centre for Rural and Northern Health Care
Professor, Laurentian University
Diana Urajnik received her PhD in Community Health, Health and Behavioural Sciences at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto. She is Director of the Centre for Northern and Rural Health Research (CRaNHR at Laurentian University); and Assistant Professor and Co-Chair of Social and Population Health, Human Sciences Division, at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM).
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As Director of CRaNHR, Diana provides leadership for the Centre’s interdisciplinary health research, including CRaNHR’s Strategy for Patient Oriented Research (SPOR) portfolio, as the northern partner under the Ontario SPOR Support Unit (OSSU). Diana also provides direction for Social and Population Health in the undergraduate medical education curriculum at NOSM.

James Anderson
Family Health Team Manager, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
James Anderson is currently the Family Health Team Manager at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. At Dilico, he has been involved in leading the the primary care clinic, Indigenous midwifery program, and in partnership with the Rapid Access Addictions Medicine (RAAM) clinic. James also serves as the Chair and one of the founding Board members of the Northwestern Ontario Chapter of the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CCHL). When James isn’t at work, he is either teaching the occasional course at Lakehead University, cooking up for a storm, outside for exercise or playing trivia.

Doug Davey
Program Coordinator, Land-Based Detox Program, Mushkegowuk
Wahchiya Misiway, My name is Doug Davey from Moose Cree First Nation, I am Land Based Program Coordinator for Mushkegowuk OMA Askikan Land Based detox. The 7-day detox program is a trauma informed healing program geared for Mushkegowuk members in the James Bay region. The program provides a holistic approach to healing and recovery, also dealing with core issues and intergenerational trauma. My position here will be to assist in coordination of service delivery with the detox team, collaborate with service providers, assist in aftercare planning, coordinate cultural supports for participants and provide oversight for the Land based program.
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We are in the planning and development stages for our aftercare program which will involve relapse prevention, mental health supports, counseling, land based programming and various workshop formats. This will give Mushkegowuk members to continue their healing and recovery after detox. We look forward to making our official announcement once the program is fully developed, stay tuned.
A lot of my experience and training was first introduced through the friendship centre movement, by going to men’s sharing circles to maintain my sobriety and recovery at a young age. I attended Canadore college from year 2000-2003, where I completed my dual diploma program in the addictions and social service worker program. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various roles at the grass roots level.
I follow a traditional lifestyle with my family, by honoring my Grandparents by building and maintaining my spirituality with the Land and the wildlife. Meegwetch for reading..!

Summer Rickard
Mushkegowuk Council
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Kassondra Stockman
MFS, CBCP, Emergency Preparedness Advisor, Halton Healthcare
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Dr. Jonathan Fitzsimon
Medical Lead, Renfrew County Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre, Medical Lead, Renfrew County Integrated Virtual Care, Assistant Professor, University of Ottawa Department of Family Medicine, Clinician Researcher, Institut du Savoir Montfort
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Paul Heinrich
President & CEO, North Bay Regional Health Centre
Paul Heinrich has been proudly serving the North Bay Regional Health Centre as President and Chief Executive Officer for over ten years. Prior to this, he was President and CEO at Georgian Bay General Hospital in Midland and Penetanguishene. He was formerly Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Medicine while also serving as Advisor to the Chief Clinical Officer of the Calgary Health Region.
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He has also held management positions at the Inuvik Regional Health and Social Services Board, the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance, Huntsville Hospital and, Muskoka-East Parry Sound Community Care Access Centre. He previously served as a director on the Canadian College of Health Leaders Board and has served on numerous corporate boards.
Mr. Heinrich holds his Master of Education (MEd) from Nipissing University, as well as, a Certified Health Executive (CHE) designation though the Canadian College of Health Leaders, a Master of Laws degree (LLM) from OsGoode Hall Law School of York University, a Chartered Director designation (C.Dir.) from McMaster University, a Chartered Professional Accountant, Certified Management Accountant designation (CPA, CMA), and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) (honours) from Nipissing University.

Alethea Kewayosh
Director, Indigenous Cancer Care Unit, Clinical Institutes and Quality Programs, Director, Indigenous Health Equity and Coordination, Ontario Health
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Maria Mathews
Professor, Department of Family Medicine, Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Theme Leader, Canadian Health Force Network
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