Peterborough Community Health Centre (PCHC) is celebrating one year of operations from its two-floor, purpose-renovated clinic and gathering space in Peterborough Square Mall in the city’s downtown core.
PCHC offers many healthcare services and programs in one location, with its priority populations those who are marginalized and underserved — including people who self-identify as Indigenous — and who do not have a family doctor or nurse practitioner. The non-profit organization blends Indigenous teachings with Western health practices to deliver high-quality care that fosters physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.
To mark its one-year anniversary, PCHC hosted an open house on Wednesday (November 4) in their upstairs gathering space. The event, titled “A Year in Review: 13 Moons,” brought together PCHC staff, board members, clients, partners, and other stakeholders and community members to recognize the achievements of the organization over the past year.
Celebrating a year of learning, building relationships, and growth
“As we look back on our first year, we can reflect on how we too have grown and learned through each season of our first year in our journey,” said Ashley Safar, inaugural executive director of PCHC.
“Just as the moons mark the passing of time, our first year at the Peterborough Community Health Centre represents a cycle of learning, building relationships, creating connections, and laying the foundation for the years ahead. We recognize that growth takes time, and that every experience teaches us something, and that our journey is strengthened when we walk together.”
“13 Moons” refers to the Anishinaabe lunar calendar, which is based on the natural cycles of the moon throughout the four seasons of a year. Traditionally, one month was 28 days (the period from one full moon to the next full moon), dividing the year into 13 months instead of 12 months. While the names and teachings of each moon differ by region and community, the 13 moons provide guidance on how to establish mino bamaadaziwin (the good life).
The 13 phases are Manidoo Giizis (Spirit Moon, January), Mkwa Giizis (Bear Moon, February), Namebin Giizis (Suckerfish Moon, March), Ziisbaakdoke Giizis (Sugaring Moon, April), Waabgonii Giizis (Blooming Moon, May), O’demini Giizis (Strawberry Moon, June), Msikomini Giizis (Raspberry Moon, July), Manoominii Giizis (Ricing Moon, August), Waabaabagaa Giizis (Changing Colours Moon, September), Bnaakwii Giizis (Falling Leaves Moon, October), Baashkaakodin Giizis (Freezing Moon, November), Manidoo Giizoons (Little Spirit Moon, December), and Mndoons Giiziis (Big Spirit Moon, December or January).
“As we reflect on the past year, we have an opportunity to recognize how far we’ve come, celebrate what we’ve accomplished, and honour the people and relationships that helped to shape our journey,” Safer said. “The 13 Moons teaching reminds us that life moves in cycles, that each season brings change, and there are lots of lessons to be learned along the way.”
Safar opened the event by thanking the many people who have made the first year for PCHC at Peterborough Square a success and who are supporting the ongoing operations of the clinic and the organization as a whole.
“To everyone who has contributed to this work, thank you for the care you bring each day, the great relationships that you’ve made with us, and the many ways that you support one another and the community that we serve. Building something meaningful takes patience, flexibility, teamwork, and a willingness to learn and grow together,” Safar said.
“Every contribution, whether big or small, has helped shape the Peterborough Community Health Centre into what it is today, and that deserves to be recognized and celebrated.”
Indigenous teachings and ceremony centre the celebration
An opening ceremony and opening remarks were given by Kathy McLeod-Beaver who is a proud Anishinaabekwe knowledge keeper and helper from Alderville First Nation.
In her career to date, she has supported Indigenous health for the past 35 years. Her current role is Indigenous Navigator for the Regional Cancer Program at Lakeridge Health. This is a regional position that includes providing cancer care navigation at hospitals including Peterborough Regional Health Centre.
McLeod-Beaver said her passion is creating safe, equitable pathways in healthcare that are guided by Indigenous knowledge and practices.
Attendees were offered sage while McLeod-Beaver and PCHC Indigenous cultural wellness coordinator Tina Cole performed the song “Walking Through Creation” on drums.
“This medicine is to help centre us — it helps keep us present,” McLeod-Beaver said. “We’re getting rid of those things that we might be carrying that don’t belong to us, that are not ours to carry. I think many of us do that, because we come from a place of love and kindness and we take on those energies without even realizing it.”
“Our songs, they too bring that medicine that we need. I know for myself personally, whenever I’m having a hard time, I get my drum out to sing. And you don’t have to know a song. This is the heartbeat of our mother.”
Following opening remarks, Safar, on behalf of the whole PCHC team, was presented with a congratulatory certificate from the office of Peterborough MP Emma Harrison.
PCHC programs manager Steve Toms then presented a new video made for the open house that features staff, board members, PCHC leadership, and community partners sharing stories and information about the organization and its programs over the past year.
“As part of today’s celebration, I wanted to create something that would tell a story of our first year, not just through milestones and accomplishments, but through the voices of the people who have helped make it happen,” said Toms.
Supporting wellness beyond medical care
PCHC employs a 30-person team of medical and paramedical professionals, including nurses, physicians, health promoters, social workers, system navigators, and other team members.
In March, the PCHC introduced a wellness team to the organization. This team includes a program manager, social workers, system navigators, a health promoter, and an Indigenous cultural wellness coordinator.
This team, sometimes known as an allied health team, provides interdisciplinary and intersectional wellness support that focuses on social determinants of health such as housing stability, social connection, access to community services, and cultural supports.
Cole told kawarthaNOW that, for Indigenous clients of PCHC, this includes programming such as drumming circles, traditional healing clinics, and ceremonial services.
She said these programs are intended to help people in connecting with their culture and supporting cultural, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing.
Community voices will help guide the next five years
According to Safar, PCHC is entering its first five-year strategic planning process. Attendees of the open house were given a short survey to ask their position on the most pressing health and healthcare issues in Peterborough.
“Our survey today will inform some of our strategic plan,” Safar said. “Then there will be more opportunities where we gather the voices of patients and clients directly connected to the PCHC and some work to engage community partners as well as the community at large.”
The survey asked attendees what health and wellness supports are most important to them (with a checklist of options), what makes it hard for people in the community to get the care and support they need (with another checklist of options), and what could PCHC could do over the next five years to make the biggest difference in the health and wellbeing of people in Peterborough who face the greatest barriers to care.
Through the strategic planning process, Safar said PCHC will consider how the organization fits into the local healthcare landscape and how it can leverage relationships and collaboration to offer the best service.
To date, the PCHC has collaborated with local organizations such as the Trent-Fleming School of Nursing, Four Counties Addictions Services through the Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub, and the Peterborough Family Health Team and its Connect Clinic.
“PCHC really has become a collective of all of those voices, all of those experiences, and all of those people to get us to where we are today at this point in our journey,” Safar said.
“But we’re continuing to grow, and we’ll continue to evolve and be responsive to community, and continue working and walking alongside community as well in the work that we do.”
For more information about Peterborough Community Health Centre, visit www.ptbochc.ca.
