The last words a Peterborough nurse and mother posted to social media before she peacefully passed away last Friday (April 24) have gone viral for their positive message about life.

At 46 years old, Brianne “Bri” Thompson (née Pearson) was surrounded by family when she died by Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) — a decision she made after she found out the metastatic breast cancer she had survived had spread to her brain.

The farewell message, which Brianne posted on Threads, reads: “Good bye everyone! I’ve had a great life. Wonderful Children, a great career which I enjoyed beyond words and a lovely life with my husband. Everyone be good to yourself and have an amazing life. No one knows how long they have so enjoy every minute.”

That message, punctuated with a red heart emoji, was likely meant for friends and family but, in just four days, had garnered over 127,000 reactions, 7,500 comments, and 3,700 re-shares. It even attracted the attention of People magazine, which ran a story about the post on Monday.

Born in Lindsay to the family behind Pearson Insurance, Brianne worked as a registered nurse at Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) right out of school. The hospital honoured her by hanging their flags at half-mast on Monday.

It was at PRHC 20 years ago where Brianne met her best friend Jennifer Morrissey, who is described as her “partner in crime” in Brianne’s obituary. Since then, Jennifer says Brianne was a “constant” in her life and they shared their “dry, usually offside” sense of humour.

“She loved playing practical jokes on people,” Jennifer says. “She was one of the charge nurses on the unit and when the doctors would come do their rounds, they would leave with little gifts in their pockets. She would put some inappropriate things in their pockets when they were leaving, and they would find little messages later or little drawings. They would always know it was Bri.”

According to Jennifer, Brianne also performed in several plays at the FLATO Academy Theatre in Lindsay, and, as a good singer and lover of karaoke, even auditioned for Canadian Idol.

“She was always up for anything you wanted to do,” Jennifer recalls. “Whatever funny picture you wanted to take, whatever funny joke you wanted to play on someone — she was always up for it.”

Perhaps Brianne’s resilience and positive spirit is best represented in how she continued on with her wedding to Alan Thompson — and the 211-mile backpacking trip on the John Muir Trail she had planned for her honeymoon — just two weeks after she was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer on August 30, 2023.

Also having multiple nodules in her liver, Brianne started treatment the week she returned from her honeymoon. She was given 13 rounds of chemotherapy and after the treatment came to an end in the spring of 2024, her scans were continually clear.

Brianne went back to work and continued supporting her young adult sons, 21-year-old Thomas-Jay and 19-year-old Chase, from her previous marriage to Jay Callaghan. She shared some of her cancer journey to social media and supported local cancer care at PRHC by participating in Peterborough’s Dragon Boat Festival.

With her scans coming back clear, Brianne didn’t suspect anything else was wrong until just over a month ago, when she began feeling very unwell and fatigued despite typically being a very active person.

She kept thinking she was just dehydrated, until she experienced a moment where she couldn’t remember her dog’s name and she fainted.

Her husband Alan took her to the hospital and a scan confirmed that she had two very large tumours and several small lesions on her brain. She was taken to Kingston where, just a few days later on March 24, she had the large tumours removed.

She was told radiation wasn’t an option, so she started chemotherapy again. However, after just one round of treatment, she already began losing her memory and experienced serious side effects.

“Even in the very beginning with the breast cancer, she always said to me that because she was so active and loved life so much, that if she became her disease, she didn’t want that,” Jennifer says.

“She said ‘This is my brain. I don’t want to be stupid and, if I continue on with chemo, it’s palliative. I know it’s not going to cure me.’ And so she made the difficult decision to do MAID, which is so brave.”

Jennifer notes that Brianne was “agonizingly” okay in the days leading up to her death, likely reassured she had made the right decision because MAID had brought a peaceful end for both her grandmother and her aunt.

Jennifer says Brianne “went out on her own terms and that’s what she wanted.”

“Everyone else had to take a beat to catch up to her because she was so positive. She just kept saying ‘It is what it is’ and ‘I want everyone to live their lives and think of me and laugh.’ Even right to the end, she was a hostess in her own house a half hour before she died. It was insane, but that’s who she was.”

Jennifer hopes that Brianne’s story could support other breast cancer survivors who, like Brianne, don’t show any symptoms of it spreading to the brain.

About 15 to 30 per cent of people with stage 4 breast cancer will experience brain metastases, though typically patients would be showing symptoms of dizziness, headaches, memory problems, and blurred vision long before Brianne experienced them.

“Even her oncologist is saying this is the type of thing that changes practice, and we would love to see practice change,” says Jennifer, noting that routine brain scans are not standard for breast cancer patients unless symptoms appear.

“For some people maybe it doesn’t go to their brain, but wouldn’t you like to know that? Wouldn’t you like to know if something, even one small thing, is going on? It’s important.”

Not only has Brianne’s final message on Threads been eliciting comments from people touched by her positivity and appreciation for life, but many commenters have shared their own experiences losing a loved one to cancer, or reflecting on their own lives.

“She was humble but she would love the attention, because if she could give that out and have someone else learn something from that or get comfort from that — that’s what she would love about it,” Jennifer says. “When I think of her, I think of positivity, so even though I’m sad when I think about what’s happened, I know she’d want this to be positive. I have to latch on to that.”

A celebration of life reception for Brianne will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday (May 1) at High Park Funeral Centre at 2510 Bensfort Road in Peterborough. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to the Canadian Cancer Society.

The Urban Indigenous Working Group in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough is bringing the community together on Tuesday, May 5 to show local Indigenous women and girls that “there is a huge community here to protect them and love them and keep them safe.”

So says Mshkiki Gitigaan Kwe (Katelyn Brennan), an artist, activist, facilitator, and consultant who is a member of the group.

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

The meaning of Red Dress Day and its cultural significance

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,” Gitigaan said.

The Urban Indigenous Working Group is a collaborative organization with representatives from the Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre, Peterborough Community Health Centre, Lovesick Lake Native Women’s Association, Lakelands Public Health, City of Peterborough, Niijkiwendidaa Anishnaabekwewag Services Circle, and members of the community.

Gitigaan told kawarthaNOW that one goal of the Urban Indigenous Working Group is to “make sure days of commemoration occur in a meaningful and culturally relevant way.”

This year’s Red Dress Day commemoration from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on May 5 will feature a prayer and drumming ceremony outside Peterborough City Hall at 500 George Street North, followed by the sharing of stories, bannock, and tea in Confederation Square across from city hall.

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 red dresses and faceless dolls to be displayed at the event.

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

The working group and its affiliates continue to accept donations of red dresses for display and artistic purposes at the event.

Demands for government accountability and action on MMIWG2S+ crisis

Gitigaan said that since she began hosting events in 2014, she has seen reported numbers of MMIWG2S+ rise from 800 to over 5,000. For her, this demonstrates systemic failures to support and protect Indigenous women and girls.

“The issue is obviously growing and we need to address those policies and procedures in our workplaces that are discriminatory to Indigenous women,” she said.

As a professional Indigenization and decolonization consultant, Gitigaan works closely with non-Indigenous businesses and organizations to dismantle broken systems and build workplaces that accommodate and support Indigenous employees and clients.

She has worked recently as the lead consultant on projects including the Peterborough Community Health Centre and Planet Youth Nogojiwanong in collaboration with Lakelands Public Health.

For her part, there is “a lot that goes ignored” or that people become “used to” in terms of discriminatory and toxic treatment, especially in professional environments.

“Look under a magnifying glass at what is wrong and what can be done to dismantle oppressive and discriminatory systems,” Gitigaan said.

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

She explained that this, in part, is why the May 5 gathering will take place at Peterborough City Hall and Confederation Square, 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.

Gitigaan also spoke to the importance of all community members, regardless of Indigenous heritage, to demonstrate their desire for the government to take further action on — and take accountability for — the MMIWG2S+ crisis.

“When folks aren’t held accountable it sends a message to our young ladies that they’re not valuable or important,” she said.

Non-Indigenous people encouraged to take part and to educate themselves on the issues

An important aspect of the May 5 gathering for the Urban Indigenous Working Group is the opportunity to engage the whole community, including non-Indigenous residents.

For her part, Gitigaan said the event will be a demonstration of unity and collaboration in the ongoing work to protect Indigenous women and girls.

“This isn’t an event just for Indigenous people,” she pointed out. “We hope and encourage everyone to come and join us, because this isn’t just an Indigenous women’s issue.”

She also noted the importance of non-Indigenous people to be self-motivated in learning, and not to expect Indigenous people to provide all of the education and guidance for action.

“A lot of reconciliation work it put on the shoulders of Indigenous people, and that isn’t really our work to be doing,” Gitigaan said.

Gitigaan said that organizations can ensure that Indigenous people are provided the opportunity to be involved in decision-making processes, and not simply tokenize their voices.

Building relationships with the Indigenous community beyond Red Dress Day

The Urban Indigenous Working Group was established in 2025 and operate at a grassroots level with the support of the organizations represented by their membership.

Gitigaan noted the group does not have a budget and often relies on its members to cover expenses from their own personal funds.

As such, she spoke to the importance of community support and engagement in continuing and amplifying the work being done by the Urban Indigenous Working Group, which encourages organizations and businesses to share their reconciliation efforts with the group and to engage them to provide advice and guidance.

Going forwards, the Urban Indigenous Working Group intends to organize events and initiatives for Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 and Orange Shirt Day on September 30, which is also the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. In 2025, the group hosted a sunrise ceremony and a day of educational activities to mark the day.

Gitigaan told kawarthaNOW the group is also beginning work on an initiative in 2027 for the Moose Hide Campaign, which is an Indigenous-led organization working to engage Indigenous men and boys in ending domestic violence.

She said it is important to bring together “the men in our community to end domestic and gender-based violence.”

Looking forward to Red Dress Day and beyond, Gitigaan encouraged non-Indigenous members of the community not to be afraid to reach out and establish relationships with the Indigenous community.

“Building trust is huge and it takes time,” she said. “You don’t want to rush things. Go to these events, go to pow-wows, get to know the community. Make yourself known as a safe person to be with and that you’re open to learning and being educated, but also not burdening Indigenous people with educating you — because those resources are out there.”

With the initial public consultation on Canada’s proposed high-speed rail network now completed, the Crown corporation responsible for the project will be releasing a report on the consultation in June followed by the announcement of a “more precise corridor” by the fall.

In a media release issued on Monday (April 27), Alto reported it has “successfully completed one of the most extensive public consultation initiatives ever conducted in Canada,” with president and CEO Martin Imbleau stating that Alto “made a deliberate choice to engage early.”

“We used the past hundred days to listen to communities to better understand their realities,” Imbleau added. “We value the significant number of people who took the time to share their views and suggestions with us, as well as their criticisms and concerns.”

Those criticisms and concerns include the impact of building a 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail network between Toronto and Québec City through agricultural and environmentally sensitive lands, the federal expropriation of private property, the closure of rural roads severing communities, the selection of the seven station locations (which include Toronto, Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, Laval, Trois-Rivières, and Québec City), and more.

Over the past three months, Alto said it has hosted 26 in-person open houses, 10 virtual sessions, and 32 stakeholder roundtables, and spoken to more than 10,000 Canadians in rural and urban communities across Ontario and Quebec.

In addition, Alto’s online consultation portal recorded a total of 324,026 unique visits, with 24,142 questionnaires completed and 19,903 comments added to the interactive map, “highlighting concrete local realities that will need to be taken into account as the project moves forward.”

“All of this feedback will help us find the right balance to design a project that reduces impacts on communities while delivering lasting benefits across the entire corridor,” Imbleau said.

During the consultation process, Alto presented a potential 10-kilometre wide corridor for the high-speed rail line between Ottawa and Toronto where the 60-metre wide route for train would be located, with both a northern and southern option.

Both options resulted in pushback from many rural communities in eastern and central Ontario, with some municipal councils passing resolutions opposing the high-speed rail network in its current form and suggesting the rail network should instead run along the Highway 401 corridor.

While Alto notes that exit surveys from the open houses “show that 70 per cent of attendees were satisfied with the information they received about the project,” some people have also expressed concerns the consultation process was insufficient.

Alto says it will publish a report in June “detailing key findings and insights from the first phase of public consultation,” and will be announcing a “more precise corridor” by the fall.

Although the initial consultation phase is completed, Alto adds that “broader community engagement work with Indigenous communities, provinces, municipalities, and special interest groups is ongoing.”

The year’s annual Carl Oake Rotary Swim fundraiser has marked a major milestone, having raised $1.5 million over the past 40 years for Easter Seals and projects supported by the Rotary Club of Peterborough.

At its meeting on Monday (April 27) at the McDonnell Activity Centre in Peterborough, the Rotary Club of Peterborough announced that this year’s event raised $51,286.35, bringing the 40-year total to $1.5 million.

The club presented a cheque for $12,000 to Andrea Peterson of Easter Seals Ontario and a cheque for $3,000 to Shannon Hunter of the YMCA for the YMCA Strong Kids Campaign. The remaining funds will support the work of the Rotary Club of Peterborough in the community and the work of Rotary around the world.

Sponsored by Baker Tilly and Holiday Ford Lincoln, the 40th annual swim was held on February 27 at the YWCA of Central Ontario’s Balsillie Family branch in Peterborough. The theme of the event was “1986” in recognition of the year the event was founded by Carl Oake, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 79.

When the local businessman and Rotarian founded the swimathon, he swam 120 pool laps solo until the event was expanded in the early 1990s to include teams. He continued to participate each year until 2016, when hernia surgery sidelined him, but he returned to the pool in 2017 for his final swim. Prior to that, he announced his three daughters would be taking over the reins of the event.

During Monday’s meeting, Rotary also awarded prizes to two teams who participated in this year’s event. Team World Barbie, the top fundraising swim team, received tickets to see the Century 21 Peterborough Lakers and The Crocodile Dundees, the team with the best costumes, won a game-worn Peterborough Petes helmet and game-worn Century 21 Lakers gear.

Having most recently donated almost $29,000 to seven local charities, the Peterborough Foundation is accepting applications until Friday (May 1) for its next round of grants.

Applicants can be not-for-profit charitable organizations of any size, with a charitable number carrying out operations within the city and county of Peterborough. Grants are for capital purchases only, not operating costs or deficits.

The Peterborough Foundation has supported hundreds of local charities over the past seven decades. Incorporated in 1953 from the estate of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Magie, the foundation has distributed more than $2 million from an original capital base of just under $1 million.

The work of managing and distributing the foundation’s funds is done by volunteers. The foundation’s board of directors meets twice each year, in June and December, to consider grant applications.

Following its December meeting, the foundation’s board of directors decided to distribute $28,655 in grants to the following seven charitable organizations:

• Achieve Charity: $2,000 for accessibility equipment
• Community Counselling & Resource Centre: $9,327 for computers and IT upgrades
• Heads up for Inclusion: $3,000 for strategic planning
• Kawartha-Haliburton Children’s Aid Society: $1,900 for Santa Claus fund sleigh signage
• Peterborough Action for Tiny Homes (PATH): $4,482 for a washer and dryer
• Peterborough Symphony Orchestra: $4,946 for computer hardware and software upgrades
• Watersheds Canada: $3,000 for backpacks and learning materials

To learn more about about the Peterborough Foundation and to apply for a grant, visit www.peterboroughfoundation.org.

“It’s very user-friendly to apply for a grant from the Peterborough Foundation,” says board chair Shirl Delarue in a media release. “We like to keep it simple for organizations, especially smaller grassroots charities. They simply have to visit our website and fill out an application.”

The board will meet in June to review the applications, and will then follow up with the submitting organizations before deciding which organizations will be granted money and how much.