The transformative investments made at Fleming College over the past year are an inspiring reminder of the impact community philanthropy can have on student success today and for future generations.

On Thursday, April 30, Fleming College alumni, donors, faculty, and governors gathered at the Sutherland Campus in Peterborough for a Community Impact & Appreciation Event.

The celebration saw remarks from Fleming leaders and a guided tour of some of the investments that were made possible thanks to the generosity of the community.

A record year of giving supports Fleming’s future

“The very best colleges have engaged and supportive communities, and that is certainly the case here at Fleming,” said Don Gillespie, Chair of the Board of Governors. “This is a time of both significant change and immense opportunity for Fleming College.”

In 2025-26, Fleming College benefited from a record-breaking year for philanthropy, with donor support totalling an impressive $3.57 million in new gifts and commitments. These gifts are already being invested to empower student success and solidify the future of the college by supporting scholarships, enhancing student life on campus, and strengthening in-demand programming.

This comes during a time when colleges across Ontario are facing significant challenges stemming from declining student enrolment, rising costs of program delivery, and shifts in government policy, all on top of continued inflation that also affects students and their access to education.

A commitment to accessible education and student success

Despite these challenges, Interim President of Fleming College Dr. Theresa Knott noted that Fleming students remain highly sought after, particularly in high-demand sectors like healthcare and skilled trades. She added that the school’s integration with St. Lawrence College reflects the opportunity to respond to the challenges with more impact.

“Together, we can expand access, strengthen programming, and enhance our ability to meet the evolving needs of students, employers, and communities across a broader region,” Knott said. “We’re very pleased to be integrating as equal partners with a college that is similar to Fleming in so many ways. Both Fleming and St. Lawrence are institutions with strong community roots, shared values, and a commitment to student success.”

Fleming’s commitment to student success is being supported by generous donors, including the Joyce Family Foundation, whose $1.5 million gift allowed the college to establish its largest-ever endowed fund for student tuition assistance in 2025.

In April, Fleming College also announced its first-ever Entrance Scholarship Program to provide bursaries for full-time domestic students, including mature learners and returning alumni and students in health and skilled trades programs. The program is being funded in part by donors, including contributions to the Fleming Forward Fund, which has reached $110,000.

Additional support was given to fuel program innovation and development through new equipment, simulation technology, and investments in Hy-Flex classrooms. The Student Administrative Council made a generous investment in student athletics.

Donor Kerri Davies: From mature Practical Nursing student to community leader

One such donor is Fleming alumna and Board of Governors member Kerri Davies, who has made a commitment to helping future students because she feels Fleming was “foundational” to her decades-long career in healthcare and strongly believes in the college’s future.

That’s why Davies has made plans for a legacy gift to Fleming College to support mature students enrolled in the college’s Practical Nursing program, from which she herself graduated in 1992.

“Kerri Davies’ story reflects the lifelong relationship our alumni have with Fleming, and how a transformative student experience can evolve into a career defined by leadership, compassion, and impact,” said Katie Pezoulas, Fleming College’s Executive Director of Advancement and External Relations. “We are very grateful for her gift and confidence in Fleming College.”

Over three decades ago, Davies was a mother of three looking to get back into the workforce after running an at-home daycare. She applied for a position at Fairhaven long-term care facility, where she had worked previously as a healthcare attendant, only to discover the educational requirements for personal support workers had changed. She immediately drove to Fleming College to explore her options and ultimately enrolled in the part-time Registered Nursing (RN) program.

“I thought it was brilliant that they started the part-time RN program,” Davies said. “It allowed adults who were working, either in other careers or at home with their families, an opportunity to get advancement and career opportunities.”

In 1991, she enrolled in Fleming’s full-time two-year Practical Nursing program. After graduating at the top of her class, she was immediately hired for two part-time jobs at the Civic Hospital (now Peterborough Regional Health Centre) and the Victorian Order of Nurses. For the next several years, she worked as a nurse in a range of settings, including at Fairhaven – a full-circle moment in her career as Davies began her working life at that facility, alongside her father who had been an orderly.

Those roles led her to her first administrative position in the healthcare sector, when she became the Executive Director of AON’s Royal Gardens Retirement Home and, when AON opened the doors to Canterbury Gardens in 2009, they hired Davies as the inaugural Executive Director.

“It was less than eight years from my graduation and I was able to put together, through my experience and from my nursing diploma from Fleming College, a resume that positioned me for leadership,” Davies said. “I went from being a community nurse, a hospital nurse, and a long-term care nurse to helping others in their careers.”

That included partnering with Fleming College to create opportunities for nursing students to do their placements in real settings.

“It helped us break down some of the stereotypes nursing students had about the experience of working in a retirement home,” she said. “Almost all of my senior team were Fleming graduates, and almost all of them came through a job placement.”

Her successful career earned Davies the Alumni Distinction Award from Fleming College as well as a Premier’s Award nomination in 2009, a City of Peterborough Civic Award in 2001, and the Business Woman of the Year Award in 2014. As an exemplary alumna and community leader, Davies was asked to join the Fleming College Board of Governors in 2020.

As for her legacy gift, Davies said she wanted to give back to the college that helped launch her career in a way that reflects her own life experience.

“I wanted to help other people in my situation, whether they’re a mother returning to the workplace or someone laid off and trying to redefine himself in a career,” she said. “I’m very confident in the future of Fleming.”

Showcasing how donor investments are making an impact

During the April 30 event, attendees participated in a tour of the School of Health and Community Services, where guests experienced how expanded healthcare programs, flexible delivery, and simulation-based learning is playing a key role in producing the in-demand healthcare talent needed in our community, region, and province.

Nick Stone, Associate Vice President of Applied Health, explained how fully immersive lab spaces with 360-degree projections and customizable interactive touchpoints provide students preparing for careers in firefighting, nursing, and policing with practice scenarios they will encounter in the real world.

Fleming is building on its longstanding suite of healthcare programs, with recent additions includings Respiratory Therapy in 2023 and Diagnostic Cardiac Sonography in fall 2026. In addition to producing more talent, Fleming is embedding principles of resilience training into all healthcare programming to ensure graduates are equipped to face increasingly challenging environments

Philanthropic support will bring this vision to life and will continue to enhance student success and strengthen Fleming’s future.

“It was a joy to welcome supporters and community leaders to campus and showcase how our innovative, simulation-based learning and expanded healthcare programs are preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals,” Pezoulas said. “It is an exciting time, and we are grateful to have support as we move forward.”

To support the future of Fleming College by donating to the Fleming Forward Fund, visit flemingcollege.ca/fleming-forward.

This branded editorial was created in partnership with Fleming College. If your organization or business is interested in a branded editorial, contact us.

As red dresses adorned the windows of Peterborough City Hall, local Indigenous leaders called on the community to go beyond remembrance and to take action.

Residents of Nogojiwanong-Peterborough commemorated Red Dress Day on Tuesday (May 5) at an event led by the Urban Indigenous Working Group in collaboration with the City of Peterborough.

“Red Dress Day is not just a symbol, it’s a call to action,” said Chief Laurie Carr of Hiawatha First Nation.

Chief Carr was joined by representatives from the City of Peterborough, Peterborough County, and Curve Lake First Nation, including Chief Laurie Hockaday and councillor Arnold Taylor.

The commemoration featured drumming and dance performances, an official proclamation made by Peterborough mayor Jeff Leal, and the raising of a symbolic red hand flag.

Leal said that the day was an opportunity for the city and community to “renew our commitment to meaningful action.”

After the ceremony, attendees gathered in Confederation Square across from City Hall to share stories, bannock, and tea, courtesy of the Urban Indigenous Working Group.

Commonly known as Red Dress Day, May 5 has been recognized as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ People (MMIWG2S+) since 2010.

The day of commemoration was inspired and established nationally in partnership with Métis artist Jaime Black as a continuation of her REDress Project, which displayed empty red dresses in recognition of missing or murdered women.

“The colour red is quite significant in our culture because that’s the one colour that spirit can see,” Mshkiki Gitigaan Kwe, a member of the Urban Indigenous Working Group, told kawarthaNOW in a recent interview.

Ahead of the gathering, the Urban Indigenous Working Group and Lovesick Lake Native Women’s Association hosted two workshops where community members participated in crafting felt faceless dolls and collecting red dresses that were displayed at the event.

“The faceless dolls represent our friends, family, and community,” said Em Feltham Day and Jess Vossen, two representatives of the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre participating in the Urban Indigenous Working Group.

These crafts and dolls were displayed outside City Hall and in Confederation Square throughout the event. As for the red dresses placed in the windows of City Hall, they will remain there until Friday (May 8).

“We might have some of our stolen sisters wandering and looking for us, so having these dresses on display helps spirit find us,” Gitigaan told kawarthaNOW.

In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, between 2016 and 2019 a national inquiry was commissioned by the Government of Canada to identify underlying social, institutional, and systemic factors contributing to violence against Indigenous women.

According to the Assembly of First Nations, rates of violence against Indigenous women are four times higher than non-Indigenous women.

The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls determined that disproportionate rates of violence are due to “persistent and deliberate human and Indigenous rights violations and abuses” by Canadian governments and institutions.

“Their absence is not accidental,” said Chief Carr at Tuesday’s event.

Speaking further to systemic discrimination and the large-scale nature of the MMIWG2S+ crisis, Gitigaan said all levels of government have a responsibility in the harm caused.

She explained that this, in part, is why the May 5 gathering took place at Peterborough City Hall, saying that it is a reminder that Indigenous women are underserved and underprotected by the government.

“It sends a message to our government — it sends a message to the ones that need to hear it,” she said.

Having been organized by the Urban Indigenous Working Group with support from Shelly Knott, advisor for Indigenous relations at the City of Peterborough, the event centred on Indigenous voices and traditional ceremonial practices.

This was demonstrated by traditional performances including jingle dancing by Kelli Marshall and drumming by Naandewegaan (Healing With Drums). These are important pieces of ceremony to show honour and offer healing, explained Marshall.

Naandewegaan performed the “Strong Woman Song,” which they described as a song of solidarity and resistance created by Indigenous women to be able to identify when someone was missing or in need.

Kevin Boissoneau, an 18 year old from Garden River First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, led attendees in an opening prayer and song where he called on Creator for protection and healing for those affected by the MMIWG2S crisis.

Event organizers and Indigenous activists pointed out that building awareness and gathering in remembrance alone is inadequate in the ongoing work towards reconciliation.

“These red dresses serve as a reminder that awareness must lead to action,” Knott said.

The Urban Indigenous Working Group and local First Nation representatives said there must be movement towards action as a result of increased awareness. Such action, they say, should focus on dismantling systems that discriminate against Indigenous women and girls.

“Learn and fight for change alongside us,” Day said.

For Chief Carr, significant further action at both the local and national level is necessary to protect Indigenous women in the face of discriminatory systems.

“Racism is not in the past,” she said.

The national inquiry highlighted a number of areas where Indigenous women encounter oppression and discrimination, notably child welfare, healthcare, and the justice system.

Looking ahead, Peterborough County Warden Bonnie Clark said the county remains committed to reconciliation and embedding Indigenous knowledge into its work.

“Reconciliation is not a one-day commitment,” Clark said.

Local non-profit and Indigenous-led organizations are continuing to host educational opportunities and commemorative events in recognition of Red Dress Day and other initiatives such as Orange Shirt Day.

On Tuesday evening, the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre hosted a community dinner and sacred fire in honour of MMIWG2S+. Day and Vossen expressed the importance of hosting events that are accessible to everyone regardless of daytime availability.

Throughout the ceremony at City Hall and subsequent gathering, non-Indigenous attendees were encouraged to educate themselves on the MMIWG2S+ crisis and how systemic oppression continues to impact Indigenous communities.

“This your moment to listen and to learn,” Carr said.

Also on Red Dress Day, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the federal government is providing the National Family and Survivors Circle, an Indigenous organization supporting survivors and their families, with $2.6 million in funding over three years.

Carney also announced the federal government is providing $300,000 to Red Dress Alert, a pilot project that notifies the public when an Indigenous woman, girl, or 2SLGBTQI+ person goes missing. The project is being led by Giganawenimaanaanig (“we all take care of them”), formerly known as the MMIWG2S+ Implementation Advisory Committee, in partnership with the federal government and the Government of Manitoba.

The national toll-free 24/7 crisis call line at 1-844-413-6649 provides trauma-informed supports for anyone who requires emotional assistance related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people.

Peterborough city council has voted in favour of committing $57 million towards the cost of a proposed $170-million sport and event centre in downtown Peterborough.

At its general committee meeting on Monday evening (May 4), city council considered a staff report from community services commissioner Sheldon Laidman with six options for next steps for the approval and construction of the event centre. Councillor Alex Bierk, one of the two councillors for Town Ward where the event centre would be located, was absent from the meeting.

Earlier in the day, Mayor Jeff Leal held a media conference to advocate for the project at the office of the Peterborough and Kawarthas Chamber of Commerce, which was also attended by city councillors Kevin Duguay and Gary Baldwin.

Six financing options for $170-million project laid out for council

Laidman’s report to council outlined six funding options for a new event centre, summarized below.

1. Approving $1.7 million in funding so the project can proceed to a concept and site development phase, without committing to full financing for the project.
2. Approving $30 million in debt financing (the city’s existing debt limit) while seeking partnerships with the private sector for the remaining funding.
3. Approving $57 million in debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit while seeking remaining funding from other levels of government.
4. Approving $170 million for the entire project through a combination of $70 million in debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit and $100 million in funding through the sale of city assets.
5. Approving $170 million for the entire project through debt financing by increasing the city’s debt limit.
6. Not proceeding any further with the project.

At Monday’s meeting, Laidman provided council with a presentation on the proposed event centre, noting that reports for the project date back to 2015, including justifications for the project, market analyses, comparisons to other cities and their event centres, basic financial analysis for property tax increases and funding options, basic parameters for the project including seating capacity, and possible site locations.

Last August, city council approved the preferred site location as 182 Townsend Street, a city-owned property where the existing bus garage is located, and also approved a request for quotations process if council approved funding options.

Laidman explained that the impetus for the new sport and event centre is the aging 70-year-old Peterborough Memorial Centre, which does not meet new Ontario Hockey League standards or expectations of large concert promoters, and lacks modern expected amenities.

He said that addressing the deficiencies is not feasible, that $22.4 million for capital repairs would be required over the next 15 years just to keep the facility operational, and that additional costs would be incurred for structural roof enhancements to support ceiling rigging for equipment used for large-scale concerts.

Laidman said that the new event centre, at an estimated cost of $170 million, would be built between 2027 and 2031. Using debt financing to fund the centre would result in higher debt servicing costs and would reduce the city’s flexibility to use debt financing for other capital projects. According to the staff report, debt financing options would result in property tax increases ranging from around one per cent to five per cent, depending on the option selected.

He noted that increasing the city’s debt ceiling to finance the project may affect the city’s credit rating and result in higher financing costs, with his presentation stating that restricting debt financing to the existing debt ceiling of $30 million would be the “most financially sustainable approach” as it would provide flexibility for other capital projects and minimize the tax increase to less than one per cent.

Laidman also noted the real estate development that would take place in the area of the event centre, should it be built, is estimated at $270 million. Development could generate $7.5 million in tax revenue for the city, which would “come close” to covering annual debt payments over 30 years, and additional revenue could be generated from sponsorships and naming rights, ticket surcharges, and an increase in the municipal accommodation tax for hotels and motels.

Mayor proposes city commit $57 million to project

Following Laidman’s presentation, Mayor Leal put forward a motion that combined three options from Laidman’s report:

• That council commit one-third of the cost, approximately $57 million, towards the event centre project;
• That staff be directed to provide a report identifying the funding plan to finance this $57 million commitment including amendments to the city’s debt limit;
• That staff be directed to initiate proactive advocacy and explore options to acquire the remaining two-thirds of the cost, approximately $114 million, from the Government of Canada, Province of Ontario, County of Peterborough, private sector partners, fundraising, naming rights and sponsorship opportunities, and non-debt supported sources;
• That staff be directed to provide council with a report detailing options for funds from non-debt supported sources; and
• That $1.7 million be pre-committed in the 2027 budget to include a project manager position, site studies, and preliminary consultant services.

“I fundamentally believe that the 3Ds initiative is no longer viable — dither, delay, and defer,” the mayor said after reading his motion.

“I believe it’s time to pick a lane. Lane one is a new modern event centre that will lead to revitalization of our downtown, enhance regional economic development, and position Peterborough for Vision 2096 for the next seven years. Lane two is to continue investing in a 70-year-old building with a minimum of $20 million to keep operating, with costs not determined as yet to possibly reinforce the roof and walls, and that will be the determination of a study that’s currently ongoing.”

Leal said Peterborough MP Emma MP Harrison arranged for a meeting on the project with federal government officials, which took place on April 27, and he also met with MPP Dave Smith. He said he had received a letter from a former player with the Peterborough Petes who works with one of the largest equity firms in Canada, and that person — who Leal did not identify — has expressed interest in investing in the project.

Councillors split over risk to taxpayers versus moving forward to secure partner funding

In responding to the mayor’s motion, councillor Keith Riel said that, while he is not opposed to the idea of a new event centre, “what I am opposed to is making financial commitments before we fully understand the risk to the taxpayers.”

He pointed out that experience shows municipal projects like this rarely stay on budget, increasing pressure on taxpayers. He also said that increasing the city’s debt capacity is “a fundamental shift in how the city manages its finances.”

“It limits our ability to invest in core infrastructure, like roads, water systems, and housing. Right now, it feels like we are committing to a project before we’ve completed the due diligence. The public expects us to ask the hard questions before, not after, we make a decision of this magnitude. I’m prepared to support moving forward cautiously, not in a way that exposes taxpayers to open-ended risk or changing our financial framework prematurely.”

Riel then attempted to introduce his own motion, but councillor and meeting chair Andrew Beamer said, under new council rules, he needed to submit his motion in advance of the meeting. Riel noted that he only had the opportunity in the afternoon to review the mayor’s motion, which had been distributed to council earlier in the morning before the mayor held his media conference.

Councillor Kevin Duguay spoke in support of the mayor’s motion, noting that the city will not be able to secure federal or provincial funding for the project if it is not prepared to commit its own funds in advance.

“If we don’t pre-commit to this project, I’m wondering how it will be possible to entice and consider a private sector investment,” he said. “We’re saying ‘We have an idea — we’re thinking about building a new events and sports facility, but we’re not prepared to commit funding.’ We’re going to have a devil of a time securing any funding from our upper levels of government and enticing the private sector to be involved.”

In her remarks, councillor Joy Lachica said city staff should be providing council with a “comprehensive funding and implementation strategy to secure the remaining two-thirds of the project cost” before the city commits one-third of funding for the project, and made a motion to defer the mayor’s motion.

“To just go today and rubber stamp this without that information brought to us from staff is short-sighted, and a deferral would be helpful to us in order to make next-step decisions,” Lachica said.

Councillor Gary Baldwin spoke against deferring the mayor’s motion, saying “We’ve kicked the cans down the road since 2015.”

“What the mayor’s motion says is we’re going to put our money up front, we’re going to commit to the project, and then seek out those partnerships. If no other partnerships come forward, we haven’t spent a nickel.”

For her part, councillor Lesley Parnell spoke in favour of deferring the mayor’s motion.

“This is the biggest project in the history of Peterborough, and we’re talking about it six months before an incoming council, and they could very easily just turn it over at their very first meeting,” she said. “It is going to definitely impact capital financing, our ability to build almost anything else in the city for decades, and definitely affect the next council and the council after that and the council after that. I think they (the incoming council) should be the ones to make the decision.”

“We can’t just have all of our eggs in this one basket. We continue to need to improve our roads and numerous other facilities throughout our city. There’s a lot of pressure from different segments within our community. A lot of it should be provincial responsibility, but it’s coming down onto us and the consequential cost of those social ills is on us. Those are all true costs, whether capital or operating, so we really have to be careful.”

Parnell said she wants a new events centre and acknowledged the issues with the Memorial Centre, “but we have to be realistic about what we can afford to do with all of our other responsibilities.”

Councillor Riel said he would support the deferral, echoing Parnell’s comments by saying he doesn’t want “to saddle the next council” with the funding commitment, adding there’s no “business plan” for the project.

Councillor Duguay said he would not support the deferral, referring to the positive economic impact of event centres in other communities.

“I can appreciate some of my colleagues’ hesitancy from a financial perspective to proceed, but if we continue with our financial hesitancy, that procrastination will only lead to this facility costing more and more money and I think it would be, from my perspective, to the detriment of our community.”

Councillor Parnell said that, while an event centre will improve the community, it will not make money for the city.

“What are we going to sacrifice to get it?” she asked. “Are we going to be looking at some selling of our assets that actually do create revenue — interest — for us?”

“We do need to do our due diligence, just like you would in your own household. You really want something, but can you afford it, and what are you going to sacrifice to get it? I do want this to move forward, but I do think it’s a decision for the next council. That does give the time for staff to do much more of their due diligence, and hopefully secure some of those dollars from other sources.”

Meanwhile, councillor Baldwin said deferring the mayor’s motion would mean members of the public would not have the opportunity to delegate to city council about the project at next week’s meeting.

“I’d like to hear from the community,” he said.

Speaking against deferring his motion, Mayor Leal said that reinforcing the roof of the Memorial Centre would require an estimated $4 million or $5 million, and that the walls would have to be reinforced at additional cost. He added that the facility would have to be “offline for nine to 12 months” and that would affect city revenue as well as users of the arena.

Deferral fails as mayor and five councillors back funding commitment

Council voted on the motion to defer the mayor’s motion, which lost 6-4, with Mayor Leal and councillors Matt Crowley, Don Vassiliadis, Beamer, Duguay, and Baldwin voting against and councillors Lachica, Parnell, Riel, and Dave Haacke voting in favour.

Returning to the debate on the mayor’s motion, councillor Baldwin offered a five-minute history of the Memorial Centre before reiterating his support for the motion.

In his final remarks, councillor Riel said “I haven’t heard one councillor say they are not in support of a new sports and entertainment centre.”

“I haven’t said it. What I’m talking about is funding this with the city’s taxpayer money. Right now on the books, we have a police station at 90 plus million, a fire hall to pay off, Miskin Law arena at 60 plus million, a transit garage to build, and then add 57 million if we have that tonight … former mayor (Daryl) Bennett said ‘I don’t see any money trees planted on the front lawn of City Hall.’ This is taxpayers’ money that’s used to do something.”

Councillor Lachica said her motion to defer did not reflect a lack of support for the project.

“The deferral didn’t have anything to do with saying no to it or putting it off for another term of council. It was simply asking that that we take the time to be fiscally responsible — take a few months for the reporting to come back.”

“We’re not taking the time to have that fiscal responsibility,” Lachica added. “There’s no more wiggle room. There’s so much uncertainty about the municipal tax debt and what that will be in 2027 and forward. In 2025, our asset management plan highlighted a 132 million annual shortfall for our backlog … We need to take all these things into consideration as we consider our municipal tax rate and the impact that this will have. This is not about saying no for another whole term. This is about saying no until we had more information.”

Council then voted on each of the five points of Mayor Leal’s motion.

Councillors voted 7-3 in favour of committing $57 million to the project, with councillors Lachica, Parnell, and Riel voting against. Councillors voted 10-0 in favour of the next three points in the mayor’s motion, related to city staff providing council with a financing plan for the $57 million, identifying options to secure the remaining funding, and providing a report to council on those options.

Councillors voted 9-1 in favour of committing $1.7 million in 2027 to hire a project manager and to conduct site studies and preliminary consultant services for the project, with councillor Lachica voting against.

Items endorsed by general committee will be considered by city council for final approval on Monday (May 11) when registered delegations will be allowed to speak.

On Saturday (May 2), Peterborough City Hall was lit up in grey, yellow, and teal to join the many landmarks across the country that will be illuminated throughout May in honour of Brain Cancer Awareness Month (also called Brain Tumour Awareness Month).

The grey represents awareness, yellow honours the children who have been affected, and teal represents strength and hope.

Peterborough resident and Brain Cancer Canada ambassador Brooke Roberts stood outside the building for the occasion, holding a framed photo of her late daughter Sofie, who died on May 17, 2024 at the age of nine years old from a high-grade glioma — a type of tumour that occurs in the brain or spinal cord, arising from glial cells that support neurons.

“A big thank you to Peterborough because living in the community and having been affected, I think it’s just really special that they would support the initiative,” Brooke says. “Being lit up all over Canada is exciting to not just start May off with a bang but to bring awareness to brain cancer, and to honour the loved ones and the families who struggle or who we’ve lost. It’s very special.”

Spreading awareness and supporting others affected by brain cancer is what Sofie would have wanted, Brooke says. An avid reader, creative, lover of the colour purple, and best friend to her younger sister Stella, Sofie had “a smile that could light up the room.” It was a smile she wore even as she underwent two craniotomies and 33 daily round trips to Toronto for radiology.

“She would even remind me of these wonderful heavenly truths about where courage comes from and she would be encouraging me,” says Brooke, adding they shared a deep Christian faith.

“Her life has impacted so many all over because of social media. We had people praying for her all over the place. I keep hearing these stories of how people have used her courage to help someone else or maybe in their own walk or to give them courage in hard times. So, the Lord’s using her in many, many ways even now, and it’s just so encouraging.”

Her daughter’s resilience, strength, and courage drives Brooke’s mission to fight for other families.

“Because her tumour was rare, she said ‘Mom, maybe one day my tumour will help another family,’ and remembering that conversation helps me to just want to jump in and help other families as much as I’m able.”

Today, Brooke continues to make Sofie’s dream a reality by being an ambassador for Brain Cancer Canada, a national charity run by a group of volunteers who have all been affected by the disease. Brain Cancer Canada funds research and technologies while advocating for effective treatment of primary brain tumours.

“Brain cancer is actually the leading cause of death in cancer-related deaths in children and young adults under 40, and yet we are significantly underfunded,” says Brooke.

According to Brain Cancer Canada, though nine children and adults are diagnosed with brain cancer in Canada every day, brain cancer only receives three to four per cent of the funding that is raised for cancer research in Canada.

“We are significantly underfunded as a group and that’s really sad,” Brooke says. “Because of the prognosis and severity of the cancer and where it’s located, it’s extremely catastrophic in the brain. The prognosis is quite grim.”

“We’re looking at, for the most aggressive cancers, about 15 to 18 months survival rate. We’re not sure if that plays a role into how they allocate funding but if this is the case, it’s very devastating and sad. All cancers deserve equal funding.”

Brain Cancer Canada is bridging this gap through a number of initiatives, including funding research grants for scientists and neurologists as well as advocating for patient access to drugs, multiple forms of treatment, and increased availability of neuro-surgical technologies and care.

Though Sofie was first diagnosed with a low-grade glioma in September 2022, which she had successfully removed, it came back the following May having morphed into high-grade glioma. Her family was told there was a medicine to treat her exact rare mutation in the U.S., but they weren’t able to access it quickly in Canada.

“That’s encouraging and exciting as a family, but then you realize brain cancer doesn’t afford you that time,” Brooke recalls. “We don’t have time to wait for it to get into Canada and be approved. We don’t have time to take her to the U.S. or Europe where these treatments are readily available.”

“Brain Cancer Canada is working hard for the access to these things to be immediate for families like mine, rather than have it dangled like a carrot and yet we can’t receive it. That is our goal: to help Canada become the leader in this department and to give families access to these things.”

Throughout Brain Cancer Awareness Month, Brain Cancer Canada and ambassadors like Brooke are using the campaign to spread awareness about underfunding, as well as the 120 different types of brain tumours and their symptoms.

“It’s such an awful disease,” says Brooke. “Because of where it lives in the body, you often lose your person before you lose them physically because it changes them. Surgeries are risky, and you often come away from surgeries with a changed person — personality, memory, physically. You lose your person, and it robs the individual of a quality of life, so we just hope and pray that one day we’ll be a leader in brain cancer initiatives in Canada.”

The goal throughout the month is to encourage others to “Go Grey in May.” Community members are encouraged to greyscale their social media profile pictures with the official grey ribbon, share their stories, join the Gala for Brain Cancer Research on Friday, May 22, start a fundraiser, or find other ways to raise awareness.

For her part, Brooke will also be hosting the third annual “5K for Sofie Maye.”

Held on Saturday, May 30, the event will see dozens of Sofie’s friends and family members walking or running five kilometres, often while donning her favourite colour purple. With a barbeque, silent auction, and a community of loved ones coming together, Brooke says it brings light to what is otherwise a difficult time of year for the family.

“That’s a heavy month for us because we lost Sofie on the 17th of May. but filling that month will all these things is just really helpful and good,” says Brooke. “There are lots of tears and lots of laughter. It’s a great way to get through a tough month.”

Through 5K for Sofie Maye, Brooke hopes to raise at least $5,000 to support Brain Cancer Canada.

“I tell people you can come and walk or run or crawl, but we’re going to get it done,” says Brooke. “All of my drive to do what we do is to honour her. She did many, many, many hard things over the course of the three years. We can do these hard things, too, with her courage as quite an example for the rest of us.”

To donate to 5K for Sofie Maye, visit braincancercanada.akaraisin.com/ui/fundraise/p/ed281fed9d09425ba92d4d943f71eab4.