ach brings years of experience, deep community roots, and a shared commitmenttoimprovingaccesstoprimaryand emergencycareinourruralsetting. Theirworkwillhelp:
✔ Strengthen primary care services at ChapleauandDistrictFamilyHealthTeam
✔ Support long-term sustainability of healthcareinChapleau
We are incredibly fortunate to have such dedicatedprofessionalsservingourcommunity
Please join us in welcoming them to their expandedroles!
GiseleBarlow,NP
Gisele is a Nurse Practitioner with a strong background in community-based, teamoriented care. Over the past year, she has provided comprehensive primary care to patients without a family physician or awaiting attachment, coordinating investigations, referrals, and ongoing treatment to ensure continuity and accesstocare.
Her primary clinical focus has been prenatal, postpartum, and well-baby care. Working closely with Dr Verbeek, she has supported comprehensive pediatric services for families in the community, while continuing to care for patientsofallages.
Prior to becoming an NP, Gisele spent eight years as a Registered Nurse with the Chapleau and District Family Health Team, where she developed and led programs including Prenatal and Well-Baby Care, INR management, Seniors’ Wellness, and Dermatology consultation coordination. She also played a key role in staffing and coordinating the COVID-19 Testing Centre and COVID at Home monitoring program.
Now, with the addition of new Nurse Practitioners, Gisele is expanding her practice by rotating through the Emergency Department — an area of longstandinginterest.Sheisgratefulfor the opportunity to serve the community and remains committed to providing thoughtful, accessible, andcollaborativecare.
Marie-HélèneLadouceur,NP
Marie-Hélène moved to Chapleau18yearsagoandquickly fell in love with the community, its people, and the surrounding landscape. Since 2009, she has proudly worked at the local hospital, building strong collaborative relationships and gaining a deep understanding of the unique needs of rural healthcare.
Becoming a Nurse Practitioner has allowed her to further her commitment to this communitybyincreasingaccesstoprimarycare services and supporting improved access within
the Emergency Department. She is motivated to work alongside her colleagues to help reduce wait times, strengthen patient flow, and ensure individuals receive timely, high-quality care closetohome.
Marie-Hélène is deeply grateful for the support she received throughout her graduate studies The encouragement from hospital leadership, mentorship from fellow Nurse Practitioners,andguidancefromlocalphysicians
Cont’dfromP.1 haveplayedaninvaluableroleinherjourney She is proud to continue serving the community she callshome.
LauraMorin,NP
Born and raised in Chapleau, Laura has beenservingthecommunityhospitalsince2001. Her career has been shaped by a deep commitmenttothepeopleandfamiliesofthisregionand a strong belief in the importance of accessible ruralhealthcare.
As a Nurse Practitioner, Laura is focused on strengthening access to both primary care and emergency services She is passionate about supporting the long-term sustainability of healthcareinChapleaubyhelpingstabilizelocal services, reducing gaps in care, and ensuring patients can receive timely, high-quality care closetohome.
Laura is sincerely grateful for the support of ChapleauHealthServicesandthementorshipof localphysiciansthroughouthereducation.Their encouragement has reinforced her desire to give back to the community that raised her and to continuebuildingastrongfutureforhealthcarein Chapleau.
SSCHS est fier de présenter trois nouvelles infirmièrespraticiennesquisejoignentànotre équipe de soins de santé à Chapleau : Gisele Barlow, Marie-Hélène Ladouceur et Laura Morin.
Chacune d’entre elles apporte des années d’expérience,desolidesracinescommunautaires et un engagement commun à améliorer l’accès aux soins primaires et aux services d’urgence dansnotremilieurural.
Noussommesextrêmementchanceuxde pouvoir compter sur des professionnelles aussi dévouéesauservicedenotrecommunauté. Veuillezvousjoindreànouspourleursouhaiterla bienvenuedansleursrôlesélargis!
GiseleBarlow,IP
Gisele est infirmière praticienne et possède une solide expérience en soins communautairesaxéssurletravaild’équipe.Au coursdeladernièreannée,elleaoffertdessoins primaires complets à des patients sans médecin de familleou en attented’être pris en charge, en SuiteP.7
That's exactly what contributed to a population increase to the fledgling community onthemainlineoftheCanadianPacificRailway asFirstNationsfamiliesmadethejourneyandthe opportunity for gainful employment in a new location.WritinginChapleauTrails,editedbyDr William R. Pellow, Ian White mentions many of thesefamilieswhomigrated,butIwilljustshare someofhisstoryinthiscolumn.Mr.Whiteisthe uncleofJohn"Charlie"Whitebornandraisedin Chapleau,whodiedonMarch12,2009,andIwill give you details on how you may remember him below.
Mr White writes in Chapleau Trails that his grandparents Stephen and Jane Potts left MooseFactoryin1900,stoppedforthewinterin Mattice and then stayed at the Brunswick House Reserve on Missanabie Lake before arriving in Chapleau. His mother was nine years old at the time and with her older sister Barbara walked mostofthejourneybyfollowingtheshoreline.
He explains that this was necessary becausehisgrandfatherhadonlytwocanoesand room for three people in each vessel along with the possessions they brought with them. In ChapleautheybuiltahouseonAberdeenStreet.
After settling in Chapleau, Mr White notes that the Elders of the community became devout members of St. John's Anglican Church, butassomecouldnotgetouttoattendservicesat thechurch,theygatheredathomesforprayerand enlightenment. He notes that Esther (Sanders) Swanson was their self-taught organist and choir leader on Sunday afternoons, and "their joy of singingcouldbeheardintheneighbourhood."
AtagesevenMr.Whitejoinedthechoirof St.John'swithTerryandJohnWay-White,David and Elbert Collinson, Lorne and John Woodard, EdwinGood,JimandKeithSearlewithReginald Thrush as choirmaster. "I remember my first morning, it was Easter Sunday 1927 and my grandpa was sitting near the entrance when we entered the church. I can still see his smile of approval..."
Mr White also writes about the "Lower Town"hockeyteamandsomeofthefamousFirst
Nationsplayersfromtheearlyyears."BobTurner was the noted goalie. Tony Cachagee a fast skating forward. Mickey Linklater was called to play for Glace Bay of the Maritime League and JoeWolotco,notoftheFirstNationbutamember of the team was called to play for the Windsor BulldogsoftheOntarioHockeyLeague."
He also notes that his older brothers Donald and John (Charlie's father) and a cousin Oliver "Doc" Potts and the Corston boys and Mickey and Farmer Linklater competed in the townsoftballleague,addingthatJackShoupand "Bunt" Burrows shared umpire duties, "both of whom sometimes bore the brunt of sharp criticism."
Mr White, who served in the ThirdAnti Tank Regiment of the Royal Canadian Army in World War II, shares much more of life in Chapleau and I encourage you to read it in Chapleau Trails but now I want to switch to rememberinghisnephewJohn"Charlie"White.
I received a message from David McMillan, who now lives in Selkirk, Manitoba aboutawayinwhichwecanrememberCharlie.
DavidwrotethatwhenCharliedied,Jean, his wife, and the family had intended to set up a Trust Account for a future Scholar-ship Fund in Charlie's name where individuals could make memorial donations in lieu of flowers. "In speaking with Jean recently, I've learned that the
logistics of following that intended course of action are so overwhelming that the undertaking hasunfortunatelyhadtobeabandoned.
"AsanalternativeJeanandthefamilyfeel that Charlie's second choice would have been to havedonationsmadeinhismemorytoSt.John's AnglicanChurchinChapleauwhere,inhisyouth, Charlie was a member of the congregation. St. John's was also an institution with which he maintained a close tie and relationship until his untimelypassing."
Cheques payable to St. John's Anglican Church can be sent to the Church at Box 756, Chapleau,ONP0M1K0andbeassuredthatyour contribution will be greatly appreciated by both St.John'sandCharlie'sfamily,Davidadvised.
Donation acknowledgements (excluding monetary contribution amounts) will be forwarded to Jean by St. John's as they are received, and formal receipts for Income Tax purposes will, regardless of the amount contributed,bemailedouttodonorsinJanuary2011.
ThankstoIanWhite,amemberofoneof Chapleau'spioneerfamiliesforsharingtheirstory togivemeacontexttowriteaboutremembering Charlie,whoIalwaysthoughtwasthestaronthe hockeyteam,towhomIoncepassedthepuckand he scored, and who once told me during a road hockeygameontheoutdoorrinkbesidehishome onAberdeenStreet,"You'reprettygood."
Recognized as Canada's first commercial-scale battery facility, the project will create up to 2,500 direct jobs and protect the province's advanced manufacturing sector
Today,theOntariogovernmentmarkeda majormilestonefortheprovince’smanufacturing sectorwiththeofficialgrandopeningofNextStar Energy Inc.’s 4.23 million-square-foot state-ofthe-art Windsor facility As Canada’s first commer
y manufacturingfacility, theprojectwillcreateup to 2,500 good-paying jobs while strengthening Ontario’s position as a leading global manufacturerofadvancedtechnologiesneededto powerelectricvehicles(EV),AIdatacentresand otherhigh-energyinfrastructureprojects.
“The opening of the NextStar Energy battery facility is a milestone for southwestern Ontario, creating thousands of local jobs and benefiting workers across our province’s automotive and advanced manufacturing supply chains,” said Premier Doug Ford. “NextStar’s commitmenttoOntarioworkersreflectsthehard work our government has done to cut taxes and redtape,attracthistoriclevelsofinvestmentand build the most competitive, resilient, self-reliant economyintheG7.”
Since production began in November 2025, the company has already produced over one million battery cells and hired more than 1,300 highly skilled workers, with 1,200 more jobs expected once at full operational capacity Today’s event served to reaffirm NextStar Energy’s $5 billion commitment to Ontario, whiledemonstratingtheresilience,reliabilityand competitiveness of the province’s investment climate.
“By leveraging LG Energy Solution’s technological expertise alongside Windsor’s manufacturing might, NextStar Energy has solidified its position as a cornerstone in North America’s battery ecosystem,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “We congratulate NextStar Energyonachievingtheseinitialmilestonesand lookforwardtoseeingtheirbatteriesunlocknew economic opportunities for Ontario’s leading industries.”
Ontario, in partnership with the federal government, first announced its support for NextStarEnergy'sprojectinMarch2022aspart of a commitment to transform the province’s automotive supply chain As domestic and international demand for energy storage rises, NextStar Energy’s decision to diversify its production portfolio and expand its customer base will further anchor the company’s operationsinOntariofordecadestocome. Cont’donP.5
Recognized as Canada's first commercial-scale battery facility, the project will create up to 2,500 direct jobs and protect the province's advanced manufacturing sector
“Today’s grand opening reflects the economic momentum we are building here in Windsor,” said Danies Lee, Chief Executive Officer of NextStar Energy “With strong investment from the federal and provincial governments and the commitments from our founding joint venture partners, we are proud to be creating long-term economicvalueforCanada.Atthesametime,we are helping power the next generation of energy thatwillfuture-proofCanadianindustryatscale. This is a unique, made-in-Canada success story andonewecanallbeproudof.”
Since2018,Ontariohaslandedahistoric $213 billion in investments from foreign and domestic companies, including over $46 billion innewinvestmentsinvehiclemanufacturingand the EV battery supply chain. As the global business landscape evolves, the government remains focused on taking decisive action to protect workers and reinforce Ontario’s position asthemostcompetitivejurisdictionintheG7to invest,expandandgrow
Accounting for over 800,000 workers acrosstheprovince,themanufacturingsectorisa driving force behind the province’s economic strengthandglobalcompetitiveness.
LG Energy Solution is a leading global battery manufacturer delivering advanced lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility and IT applications and energy storage systems.
NextStar Energy was originally a joint venture between Stellantis and LG Energy Solution. LG Energy Solution recently announcedtheyarepurchasingStellantis’equity staketobecomethefullownerofthefacilitywith the same employment creation target of 2,500 jobsinWindsorandthesurroundingregion.
The NextStar Energy project will accelerate Ontario’s Driving Prosperity ― The Future of Ontario’s Automotive Sector plan to increase competitiveness and help position the province as a leader in the development, commercialization and adoption of advanced manufacturingandmobilitytechnologies.
The NextStar Energy project also strategically aligns with the government’s CriticalMineralsStrategy.
SHOP LOCALLY BUY
Lastweekssolutions
MOMENTS IN TIME
OnMarch23,1983,BarneyClarkdiedofvariedcomplications 112 days after becoming the world's first person to receive a permanent artificial heart The last four months of his life had beenspentinahospitalbedattheUniversityofUtahMedical Center in Salt Lake City, where he was attached to a 350pound console that pumped air in and out of the implant throughasystemofhoses
SuitedelaP.2 coordonnant les examens, les références et les traitements afin d’assurer la continuité et l’accessibilitédessoins.
Son principal champ d’intérêt clinique a été les soins prénataux, postnataux et les soins aux nourrissons. En collaboration étroite avec le Dr Verbeek,elleasoutenulesservicespédiatriques complets pour les familles de la communauté, tout en continuant de prodiguer des soins à des patientsdetousâges.
Avant de devenir infirmière praticienne, Gisele a travaillé pendant huit ans comme infirmière autorisée au Chapleau and District FamilyHealthTeam,oùelleadéveloppéetdirigé plusieurs programmes, notamment les soins prénataux et aux nourrissons, la gestion de l’INR, le programme de mieux-être pour les aînés et la coordination des consultations en dermatologie. Elle a également joué un rôle clé danslamiseenplaceetlacoordinationducentre de dépistage de la COVID-19 et du programme desuiviCOVIDàdomicile.
Aujourd’hui, avec l’arrivée de nouvelles infirmières praticiennes, Gisele élargit sa pra-
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tique en effectuant également des rotations au servicedesurgences,undomainequil’intéresse depuis longtemps. Elle est reconnaissante de pouvoir servir la communauté et demeure engagéeàoffrirdessoinsaccessibles,réfléchiset collaboratifs.
Marie-HélèneLadouceur,IP
Marie-Hélènes’estinstalléeàChapleauil ya18ansetestrapidementtombéeamoureusede lacommunauté,deseshabitantsetdespaysages environnants. Depuis 2009, elle travaille fièrement à l’hôpital local, où elle a bâti de solides relations de collaboration et acquis une compréhension approfondie des besoins particuliersdessoinsdesantéenmilieurural.
Devenirinfirmièrepraticienneluipermet de poursuivre son engagement envers la communauté en améliorant l’accès aux soins primaires et en contribuant également à améliorerl’accèsauxservicesd’urgence.Elleest motivée à travailler aux côtés de ses collègues afinderéduirelestempsd’attente,d’améliorerle flux des patients et de veiller à ce que les personnes reçoivent des soins de qualité, au momentopportun,prèsdechezelles.
Marie-Hélène est profondément reconnaissantedusoutienreçutoutaulongdeses études supérieures L’encouragement de la direction de l’hôpital, le mentorat d’autres infirmières praticiennes et l’accompagnement desmédecinslocauxontjouéunrôleinestimable dans son parcours. Elle est fière de continuer à servir la communauté qu’elle considère comme sonchez-soi.
LauraMorin,IP
Ladouceur
etLauraMorin
NéeetélevéeàChapleau,Lauraœuvreau seindel’hôpitalcommunautairedepuis2001.Sa carrière a été façonnée par un profond engagement envers les personnes et les familles de la régionainsiqueparuneforteconvictionquantà l’importance de soins de santé accessibles en milieurural.
Àtitred’infirmièrepraticienne,Laurase concentre sur le renforcement de l’accès aux soinsprimairesetauxservicesd’urgence.Elleest passionnée par la pérennité des soins de santé à Chapleau et souhaite contribuer à stabiliser les serviceslocaux,réduireleslacunesdanslessoins etfaireensortequelespatientspuissentrecevoir dessoinsrapidesetdegrandequalitéprèsdechez eux.
Laura est sincèrement reconnaissante du soutien de Chapleau Health Services et du mentoratdesmédecinslocauxtoutaulongdesa formation. Leur encouragement a renforcé son désir de redonner à la communauté qui l’a vue grandir et de contribuer à bâtir un avenir solide pourlessoinsdesantéàChapleau.
The Superior East region is now in its first year of the Francophone Community Immigration Pilot (FCIP), an initiative designed to help local employers address labour shortages while strengthening the region's Francophone presence and cultural vitality.
The pilot serves the communities of Wawa,WhiteRiver,Dubreuilville,Chapleau, Hornepayne, Manitouwadge and surrounding areas, supporting employers across multiple sectors.
The Superior East region has already seen strong early progress through the FCIP, with new employers joining the program and additional designations underway. These achievements mark important steps toward strengthening economic growth, ensuring the sustainability of essential services, and supportinglong-termemploymentstabilityin industriesfacingpersistentlabourshortages.
The FCIP allows designated employers in participating communities to recruit qualified Francophone and bilingual workers for long-term employment opportunities The program supports economic growth in key sectors such as mining, forestry, hospitality, transportation, healthcare,andskilledtrades.
“Employers across Superior East have beenclear—theyneedworkers,andtheyneed support to attract them,” said the FCIP Coordinator “Thispilotgiveslocalbusinesses a practical pathway to recruit skilled Francophonetalentwhilehelpingnewcomers buildafutureinourcommunities.”
Through the pilot, the FCIP Coordinatorworksdirectlywithemployersto:
· Identify labour needs and eligible occupations
· Support the employer designation process
· Connect employers with Francophone candidates
· Ensure job offers meet program requirements
The initiative also strengthens the region's long-standing Francophone heritage by encouraging population growth, cultural continuity,andcommunityvitality
Local employers interested in participating in the pilot or learning more about the designation process are encouraged tocontacttheSuperiorEastCFDCoffice.
