Cook first Indigenous woman inducted to Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame
Her newly unveiled bust had drawn a crowd of celebrators on Wednesday — and unlike the area's other statues, hers didn't yet have a plaque bearing her name and significance.
The event marked another 'first' set by Cook, a former colleague noted. 'She has now opened the door to the hall of fame,' said Melanie MacKinnon.
SUPPLIED
Dr. Catherine Cook has become the first Indigenous woman inducted to the Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame.
Cook has become the first Indigenous woman inducted to the Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame. Her likeness — clad with glasses and a feather piece — joined 50 others along a strip in Assiniboine Park Wednesday.
'It's an incredible honour,' MacKinnon said.
She's worked with Cook at various organizations, including Ongomiizwin, the University of Manitoba's Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing.
Cook spearheaded the facility's creation; it opened in 2017 and is Canada's largest Indigenous education and health unit.
Ongomiizwin now deploys more than 300 clinicians to Manitoba First Nations communities and Nunavut. Its research and education branch supports roughly 500 Indigenous health professional students annually, said MacKinnon, the facility's executive director.
'(Cook) has trained, personally, hundreds of physicians,' MacKinnon estimated.
'And with all of her mentees, collaboratively, thousands and thousands of health professionals.'
MacKinnon is one of Cook's mentees. Cook assumed the leadership role while MacKinnon was finishing her undergraduate degree in nursing.
The junior health-care practitioner said she learned many things from Cook, but perhaps the most important was relationships.
'We don't do this work by ourselves,' MacKinnon said. 'There's heavy lifting that sometimes requires discernment in what we choose to carry and, sometimes, what we need to put down for our own health and well-being.'
Cook promoted health equity, anti-racism and Indigenous inclusion in health-care systems.
When creating Ongomiizwin, she was the University of Manitoba's vice-dean of Indigenous health. She later became the post-secondary's inaugural vice-president (Indigenous).
Decades earlier, she'd become one of the first Indigenous students to graduate with a medicine degree in Manitoba.
Cook travelled through the province's northern and remote communities as a family physician. She transitioned to management, including as provincial lead of Indigenous health at Shared Health. She helped develop the Indigenous Partnership Strategic Framework — a guide for Shared Health to follow.
Gabrielle Piché / free press
Dr. Catherine Cook's bust at Winnipeg Citizens Hall of Fame.
'She's been very unselfish, she's been very humble,' said Cliff King, chair of the hall of fame's selection committee.
Cook declined to address media Wednesday, electing MacKinnon to speak for her.
The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board's selection committee accepts Hall of Fame nominations and picks inductees based on their community contributions. Cook stood out as a 'pioneer' in Indigenous medicine, King said.
'I aspire to be like her, to enact change like that on a massive scale,' added Michael Froese, president of the Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board. 'That was really inspiring to me, to just see that she wanted to make change en masse, and then she went out and did it — and is still doing it.'
Cook retired from the U of M in 2023, after a three-decade career with the institution.
Monday Mornings
The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week.
Her list of awards is lengthy. The College of Family Physicians of Canada, Health Canada, Doctors Manitoba, the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada and the provincial government are among the entities that have bestowed accolades on her.
In 2023, she received the prestigious Vanier Medal from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.
Madeleine Vrignon created Cook's bust. The local artist has made several Citizens hall pieces in the past, including Sinclair's.
The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board founded the Citizens Hall of Fame in 1986.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Gabrielle PichéReporter
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Cision Canada
3 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health commits $1.75M to support further advances in women's health equity Français
TORONTO, Aug. 21, 2025 /CNW/ - There's a crisis in women's health: only 7 per cent of national funding 1 is allocated to women's health research yet 70 per cent of patients with "medically unexplained symptoms 2" are women. The disparity in research funding and increased burden of disease for women is leading to a lack of access to high quality care – and putting women's lives at risk. Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health ™ is pleased to announce that it has invested $1.75 million through its Community Grants Program to help improve the state of women's healthcare across Canada. The work of the 27 organizations receiving grants valued up to a maximum of $100,000 this year spans the women's health landscape addressing areas including improving access to health supports for women experiencing homelessness, gender-based violence, and those in remote or rural communities, as well as initiatives focused on maternal health, menstrual equity, and mental health. "The funding delivered across Canada through our Community Grants program supports vital local charitable programs, awareness initiatives and improved access to care for women," said Paulette Minard, Director of Community Investment at Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health. "Working together with these grant recipients, Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health is committed to making care more equitable and accessible so that all women in Canada can lead healthier lives." Since 2022, the Foundation has supported 99 community-led organizations including The BC Society of Transition Houses (BCSTH) through its Community Grants Program. BCSTH supports an extensive network of member organizations that represent anti-violence workers throughout British Columbia who provide services in women's transitional housing, safe homes and PEACE counselling programs for children and youth. With a donation of $100,000 from Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health, BCSTH was able to address menstrual education and equity as well as increase support through its BCSTH Menstrual Equity Project. "We are proud to partner with Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health to address critical gaps in women's healthcare," said Amy S. FitzGerald, Executive Director at the BC Society of Transition Houses. "Violence impacts not only women's safety and health, but also creates significant financial barriers to equality and well-being. With this grant, we were able to provide menstrual products to nearly 5,000 women, many in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities. This initiative has helped ease some of the burdens faced by women and girls living with violence, and we are deeply appreciative of the continued support from Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health." The full list of recipients of this year's Community Grants program include: Access to Care Christie Refugee Welcome Centre Inc. – Toronto, ON – (Refugee Women's Wellness Program) - $14,800 Malvern Family Resource Centre – Scarborough, ON – (SHE (Support for Health & Equity) Thrives: Expanding Women's Wellness in Malvern) - $19,900 Parkdale Food Centre – Ottawa, ON – (Bridge and Bloom: Supporting Primary Care Access for Women in Ottawa) - $40,000 Alberta Northwest Palliative Care Society – Grande Prairie, AB – (Strengthening the Volunteer Program for Women: Compassion is Contagious) - $50,000 St. John's Women's Centre – St. John's, NL – (Access to Wellness Equity Project -AWEP) - $75,000 GlobalMedic – Toronto, ON – (Mobile Access to Care Program) - $75,000 Ann Davis Transition Society – Chilliwack, BC – (ADTS Mobile Outreach & Connections Project) - $98,746 Sistering-A Woman's Place – Toronto, ON – (Breaking Barriers: Equitable Healthcare for Women and Gender-Diverse People) - $99,475 Street Health Community Nursing Foundation – Toronto, ON – (Pathway to Health & Wellness Women's Drop-In) - $100,000 Vancouver Women's Health Collective Society – Vancouver, BC – (Vancouver Women's Health Collective: Expanding Capacity, and Inclusive Care in the DTES) - $100,000 S.O.S. Grossesse – Quebec City, QC – (Centre de Santé des Femmes de la Capitale-Nationale) - $100,000 Le Reflet (formerly Vide ta sacoche) – Quebec City, QC – (Mieux-être, estime et dignité pour les femmes en situation de vulnérabilité) – $100,000 Gender-Based Violence True North Society – Strathmore, AB – (Advancing Women's Equality) - $20,000 Stepping Stones Crisis Society – Cold Lake, AB – (Circle of Care: Nutrition, Connection, and Wellness for Women) - $33,500 North Shore Crisis Services Society – North Vancouver, BC – (The Welcome Program) - $35,000 Campbell River and North Island Transition Society – Campbell River, BC – (Women's Empowerment Through Better Health Program) - $58,874 Maternal Health First Steps Housing Project – Saint John, NB – (First Steps Residency Program) - $61,790 Shifra Homes Inc. – Burlington, ON – (Health Supports for Homeless Pregnant Women at Shifra Homes) - $75,000 Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation – Sydney, NS – (Family Newborn TLC Fund) - $80,000 The Black Women's Institute for Health – Toronto, ON – (Mothering Minds: Motherhood & Mental Health Support) - $100,000 London Health Sciences Foundation – London, ON – (Shoppers Foundation Women's Care Cupboard) - $100,000 Strongest Families Institute / L'institut des Familles Solides – Bedford, NS – (Strongest Beginnings: Equitable Perinatal Mental Health Support Without Barriers) - $100,000 Menstrual Equity Partageons l'espoir (Québec) – Montreal, QC – (FREE feminine hygiene products for all women at our food bank Initiative) - $13,380 United Way of Central Alberta Society – Red Deer, AB – (Period Promise in Central Alberta) – $20,000 Projets autochtones du Québec – Montreal, QC – (Atakaritétshera - Pour la santé et la sécurité des femmes autochtones) - $20,520 L'institut de l'innovation / Innovation Institute – Montreal, QC – (The Refugee Centre Hygiene Basket Initiative) - $60,000 BC Society of Transition Houses – Vancouver, BC – (BCSTH Menstrual Equity Project) - $100,000 Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health is a registered charity. For more information on the Foundation, please visit: About Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. is one of the most recognized and trusted names in Canadian retailing. The company is the licensor of full-service retail drug stores operating under the name Shoppers Drug Mart ® (Pharmaprix ® in Québec). With more than 1,350 Shoppers Drug Mart ® and Pharmaprix ® stores operating in prime locations in each province and two territories, the company is one of the most convenient retailers in Canada. Shoppers Drug Mart ® is an independent operating division of Loblaw Companies Limited. About Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health Shoppers Foundation for Women's Health – the charitable arm of Shoppers Drug Mart ® – is committed to helping Canadian women lead healthier lives, by making care more equitable and accessible. The Foundation will invest $50M by 2026 to address some of the most pressing health inequities facing women, including lack of representation in health research, barriers to accessing mental healthcare, and the urgent consequences women disproportionately face due to poverty and domestic violence. Learn more at
CBC
3 hours ago
- CBC
Ktunaxa Nation in B.C. bans unauthorized harvesting of sacred plant in its territory
The Ktunaxa Nation in B.C.'s Interior is asking the public to refrain from picking a traditional plant in its territory following damage to medicine patches and unauthorized harvesting. The five First Nations which make up the Ktunaxa Nation say land guardians have come across people tearing up the ground to harvest the sacred plant without its permission. The nation's traditional territory spans approximately 70,000 square kilometres across southeastern British Columbia, including the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers and Arrow Lakes, and into parts of Alberta, Montana, Idaho, and Washington state. Kathryn Teneese, Ktunaxna Nation Council chair, told CBC's Radio West that "the plant is used for medicinal purposes as well as cultural purposes." "Any kind of resource extraction without our knowledge and our permission is not something that is acceptable," she said. Teneese says that the root plant, called ʔayut, is well known among Indigenous people, and she believes harvesters are coming to Ktunaxa territory because the plant might not be available where they live. "Perhaps it's no longer accessible to folks in other areas, and they know it's here." According to botanist Michael Wilson with the Drylands Institute in Arizona, the plant grows in the mountains of western North America. Sacred medicine The Ktunaxa Nation says ʔayut is often incorrectly referred to as "bear root," "bear's root," or "osha root." The ʔayut plant's English name is Canby's lovage, which, according to the government of Montana, was used by Coast Salish Indigenous people to treat sore throats. In a paper he published, Wilson says the plant has been used medicinally by Indigenous people for centuries. The roots are used internally in teas for colds, coughs, bronchial pneumonia, flu and other respiratory infections. Externally, the root was used to treat aches and pains, digestive problems, wounds and skin infections. Sarah Loretta Schuster, a member of the Anishinaabe, says that "for a lot of Indigenous people, medicine isn't necessarily a pill or medicine that you would see at a hospital or a medical clinic." Schuster has an Indigenous medicine garden in her Ontario backyard, whose harvest she says she freely gives away, so urban Indigenous people have access to it. Giving away traditional medicine, instead of selling it, is common Indigenous protocol across Canada, but the Ktunaxa say the plant is being illegally harvested on its territory for commercial purposes. Teneese says the ʔayut plant has always been part of the Ktunaxa Nation and that the plant should not be commercialized for profit. In a statement, the Ktunaxa Nation says that businesses are selling the plant online, extracting it from the nation by the trailer load, which goes against cultural protocols. "Out of respect for the ʔayut, and in alignment with our responsibilities as Ktunaxa people, the Ktunaxa Nation opposes and does not consent to any further harvesting of ʔayut in 2025." The statement says that harvesting in 2026 may be considered on a case-by-case basis, "as long as those seeking access obtain written permission of the Ktunaxa Nation Council well in advance." In an email to CBC News, the B.C. Ministry of Forests says it is aware of the issue and has met with the First Nation to discuss its concerns. "Currently, there is no provincial legislation regulating the harvesting of non-timbered forest products, and therefore, nothing to enforce," it said.
Winnipeg Free Press
9 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Shot in the arm for Manitoba's medical future
Jesse McGregor's journey to become part of one of the largest classes of incoming medical students in Manitoba's history took him hundreds of kilometres away from home — but he'll be back. As he joined 139 of his classmates to put on their first white coats and mark their entry into the University of Manitoba's Max Rady College of Medicine Wednesday morning, his loved ones in Norway House Cree Nation and Misipawistik Cree Nation, whom he left at 17 to pursue his studies in Winnipeg, were front of mind. 'I'm not a city kid by any means. I'm a bush kid,' McGregor, 25, said, smiling in his white coat. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Jesse McGregor: 'At the end of all of this, I want to get back up north.' 'At the end of all of this, I want to get back up north.' The inaugural day ceremonies for the University of Manitoba's med school Class of 2029 were held at the Centennial Concert Hall for the first time. Students — ranging in age from 20 to 43 — included 11 Indigenous students and 53 students with rural backgrounds. One French-speaking student will be studying in bilingual classes. 'The Max Rady College of Medicine's goal over the last several years has been to graduate a diverse medical student body that reflects the communities we serve, and I believe we're achieving that here again today,' said Dr. Peter Nickerson, dean of the Max Rady College of Medicine and the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences. The class of 140 was tied with 2024 for the largest intake to the U of M's med school. In 2023, the previous Progressive Conservative government announced it would be adding 40 medical school training seats, with the goal of increasing the number of students per year to 150 from 110. There were 15 seats added in 2023 and another 15 added in 2024. Speaker George Muswaggon, who is part of a team of elders at the U of M's Ongomiizwin — Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, said the 140-year history of the medical college and its students have 'an even longer journey to rectify all that has happened' in the time since its conception. 'For all the progress we've made in medicine, it is not lost to me that measles has come back,' he said. 'You will have to change the trajectory of that, and we bank on you, we count on you.' MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS Dr. Peter Nickerson speaks at the inaugural day ceremonies for the University of Manitoba's med school Class of 2029, at the Centennial Concert Hall, Wednesday. Manitoba ranks second to last on the number of physicians per capita in Canada, with 219 doctors per 100,000 residents. The national average is 243. Manitoba would have to hire 346 more doctors to hit the national average. 'The premier would not be happy if I didn't make very, very clear that we expect, and we hope, and we're humbly asking that each and every one of you just stay right here and practise in Manitoba,' Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara joked at Wednesday's ceremonies. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. Tara Lee-Anne Clarke, a 43-year-old incoming student who worked as a paramedic in rural Manitoba and later as a physician assistant in northern and remote communities, plans to take Asagwara up on the offer. 'The responsibility is not lost on me,' said the mother of five, who expects to stay in the province. 'I think I'm prepared to shoulder that and distribute it amongst my classmates … I think we will be able to help with some of the gaps that we currently face in specific human health-care resource shortages.' McGregor, who hopes to become a family physician, pointed to developments in northern communities, like the health-care centre that opened in Norway House last year, as ways to improve equity of care and bring more doctors to remote areas. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS 140 University of Manitoba Max Rady College of Medicine classmates recite the physicianճ pledge at the white coat ceremony at the Centennial Concert Hall on Wednesday. 'I think about some of the inequities in health care right now, and the dire need to return culturally relevant and culturally safe care to the north,' he said. 'I think about our people and the idea of them having to, for example, leave community to access adequate care.' Malak AbasReporter Malak Abas is a city reporter at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg's North End, she led the campus paper at the University of Manitoba before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Malak. Every piece of reporting Malak produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
