In June 2023, I envisioned organizing an event to share information about palliative care and issues related to death and dying.
Fast forward to January 2024, when the Dryden Regional Palliative Care Committee, which I co-chair, began discussing the possibility of hosting a conference. Naturally, I was fully committed to this idea. We aimed to schedule the event for early May to align with National Palliative Care Week.
The planning process then commenced. We sent out invitations to potential speakers and brainstormed various ideas. It was crucial for me to help bring this event to fruition, as I believe in the importance of educating the public and sparking conversations about end-of-life preparations.
I am extremely proud of our team's efforts and the speed with which we organized everything. Our dedicated committee worked tirelessly to create an exceptional full-day event.
Given our remote location, we wanted to feature a diverse range of speakers. However, due to limited funding, we opted for a hybrid approach, bringing some speakers in virtually. This decision saved on travel and lodging costs while still allowing us to feature outstanding speakers.
Each speaker was wonderful, and it seemed serendipitous how every slot was filled perfectly as speakers confirmed their availability.
We were particularly pleased to have local speakers join us, as well as those from Thunder Bay. The conference was held at the Dryden Regional Training & Cultural Centre, which provided an excellent stage and screen for our presenters. The venue also offered a fantastic lunch and ample space for vendors to interact with the public. We are grateful to the staff for their meticulous attention to detail and accommodating us so well.
With great pride, I can say our first Palliative Care Conference “Affecting the Journey When We Cannot Change the Destination” was a success. The day was packed with insightful sessions and was well-attended. We are thankful to everyone who participated, especially those who stayed for the entire day—it was long, but your dedication was appreciated.
Of course, there are always areas for improvement, and we are currently evaluating how we can enhance future events. Nonetheless, there is a profound sense of pride in having successfully hosted our first Palliative Care Conference, in our community.
For those who couldn’t attend, I have included posters of our speakers. Please take a moment to review their information.
A few pictures from the day of the Conference. We hope you can join us for the next one, stay tuned.
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