Category Archives: Brantford news
Walk, walk, chat, chat, but no woofs!
Nora’s Olive accompanied us on yesterday’s walk, and even though we encountered many dogs along the trail, she did not woof! A beautiful day for a walk!
Scholarship Fundraising 2026
Excellent overview of the family doctor challenge
Jill Berridge, daughter of longstanding member Janet Kempster, held the audience in rapt attention as she provided an overview of the current challenges in the medical system in general and Family Medicine in particular. Jill was well qualified to address this topic being an accomplished healthcare administrator and leader with extensive experience at Mc Master U, serving for 12 years as Program Director of Health Services in the Dept of Family Medicine along with several other leadership positions and awards spanning 30 years.
She explained why it is so difficult for the 2 million people without a family doctor to find one. This is exacerbated by the fact that this number will double in 5 years. Fewer doctors are choosing Family Medicine and 52% of current Family Doctors will retire in 5 years. Jill explained in laypersons terms some of the funding structures that both help and hinder the challenges of our medical system – again with a focus on the Family Doctor as it relates to time restrictions per patient visit, remuneration, and more lucrative opportunities in hospitals or specialized fields. But then she shared how new structures for medical clinics staffed with a broad spectrum of services, IT programs that relieve hours of paper work, and AI innovations (for the future) will create a more favourable climate to attract graduates into Family Medicine. In closing she gave out two websites now dedicated to finding a Family Doctor: bbnoht.ca/services and Ontario.ca/healthcareconnect It was evident by the applause, the Q and A, and the comments following the presentation that Jill had touched on an area of deep interest and concern for all present.
We are very grateful for this insightful and knowledgeable overview.
Linda T
Sincere thanks for our donors for our Scholarship Fundraiser Tea
Monday lunch book group: oodles of great reads!
We had such a great meeting and such great books to talk about. Norah O was totally captivated with Isola. Two others in our group have already read it, and heartily agree with her assessment. After reading The Things We Never Say, Jeanne C was so entranced that she went on to read Olive Kitteridge and the other novels by Strout featuring Olive Kitteridge. Two others in our group had read and loved The Things We Never Say, so will now have these other books to look forward to. Jeanne also let us know about the mini series (which is available on Crave) and a lot of us will be watching it.
Marian W brought a fascinating book of a century of obituaries of famous women. It’s the kind of book you could get lost in. Very interesting. Natalie P has begun to read in order the Tim Sullivan novels, which she assesses as very well-written mysteries. Leslie L has been doing the same thing with Donna Leon novels.
Rena R told us about Arundhati Roy’s newest book, Mother Mary Comes to Me, which she says, is like a memoir of the author’s, but framed through the filter of her relationship with her mother. Rena loved the book.
Marsha S shared two spanking new books, Exit Party, by St John Mandel (pub date Sept 15th) which is set in a futuristic dystopia that sounds all too familiar, and Malcolm Gladwell’s newest book The American Way of Killing (pub date Sept 30) which she says is Gladwell’s classic informative storytelling and a must-read.
Speaker for Sept 25 general meeting: Jill Berridge
Jill Berridge is an experienced healthcare leader, consultant, educator, and physiotherapist with more than 30 years of experience in interproffessional healthcare settings across Canada and internationally. Recognized for her commitment to collaboration, innovation, and improving healthcare delivery, she has spent the past 12 years at McMaster University as Program Director of Health Services in the Department of Family Medicine, where she has advanced clinical services and operational excellence. In recognition of her leadership, dedication, and contributions to both the university and community, she received McMaster University’s President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2022. She also serves on committees with the College of Family Physicians of Canada and contributes to several local healthcare and community organizations. She will address the current state of primary care and challenges facing family physicians in Ontario.
October Speaker: Moving With Compassion’s Rola Berger
Rola Berger is a Senior Move Specialist with Move With Compassion, a company that helps seniors and their families through one of the most challenging parts of a transition: decluttering and letting go. For many seniors, decluttering isn’t simply deciding what to keep and what to throw away. It can mean sorting through a lifetime of memories, photographs, and treasures that have deep meaning. Rola, a mother of six, understands that life can get busy and clutter quickly accumulates. She brings a compassionate, practical approach to helping people create spaces that feel lighter, more manageable and more enjoyable. In her presentation “Decluttering Made Easy: Five Simple Steps” Rola will share practical tips and encouragement to get you motivated, make decisions more easily, and create a home you enjoy. Please join her on October 23 to learn how to make life simpler and moving easier.
Thursday night book club is more than just books!
CFUW Brantford On The Move (again) — Best Western!
Starting with the General Meeting on September 23, CFUW Brantford members will meet at a new location. We will meet at The Best Western, in the Alexander Graham Bell Room, which is close to the main entrance to the hotel. The address is 19 Holiday Drive, Brantford. Our meetings will go back to the 7:00 start, and we will have the room for as long as we need. Thus, we can enjoy our social time after the end of the business part of the meeting. The parking lot is large and the building is accessible.
The move was made to relieve the pressures of having to finish our meetings before 9:00 which restricted both the completion of the agenda, and our socializing, which is important to most members.
Although we are very grateful to McCleister Funeral Home for the free use of their room for 2025/2026, they could not find a way to accommodate our timeframe for meetings.
Please inform any new members you know who may be coming to this meeting that we are now at The Best Western.
Colette W for the search team including Dian K and Wendy B