PETAWAWA — After nearly three decades with Carefor Health and Community Services, including almost 10 years as president and chief executive officer, Steve Perry is stepping into a new leadership role with the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre.

The Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre (PCFHC) has appointed Perry as its new executive director, while Carefor announced Friday that he is retiring as president and CEO after 28 years with the organization. Perry will remain with Carefor until August to help ensure a smooth leadership transition before taking over at the Petawawa health centre.

The move keeps one of the region’s longest-serving healthcare leaders in Renfrew County.

Perry succeeds longtime PCFHC executive director Judy Hill, who is being recognized by the board for her years of service leading the organization.

“The board is extremely pleased to welcome Steve as our new executive director,” said Paul Moreau, chairman of the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre board of directors. “We are very fortunate to have found someone from our local area with such extensive health care experience. Steve’s leadership will play a key role in guiding the health team and ensuring the continued growth and long-term success of the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre.”

According to the health centre, Perry brings 28 years of experience in community health care, system leadership and collaborative practice, along with extensive knowledge of the regional healthcare system.

As executive director, Perry will oversee the overall leadership and operations of the not-for-profit primary care organization, working with a multidisciplinary team that includes physicians, nurse practitioners, registered practical nurses and allied health professionals, while also strengthening partnerships with community organizations.

Established in 2005, the Petawawa Centennial Family Health Centre now serves more than 9,000 active patients and is home to more than 17 physicians, five nurse practitioners and a range of allied health professionals. The centre also provides space for several community-based healthcare services, including the Diabetes Education Outreach Team from Pembroke Regional Hospital, Virtual Triage and Assessment Centre (VTAC) Community Assessment Centre, among others.

The board also thanked outgoing executive director Judy Hill for her leadership, noting she helped develop innovative programs, including the Integrated Virtual Care Program, while advocating for improved access to healthcare throughout Petawawa and Renfrew County.

At Carefor, Perry’s departure marks the end of a tenure that saw the organization expand and strengthen home and community care services across Eastern Ontario, including Pembroke and Renfrew County.

“Steve’s impact on Carefor and the broader health and community care sector has been extraordinary,” said John MacKenzie, chairman of Carefor’s board of directors. “His leadership, vision and unwavering commitment have helped position Carefor as one of Ontario’s most respected healthcare organizations.”

During Perry’s time as CEO, Carefor navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, workforce shortages and major changes in the healthcare sector while modernizing operations and earning Exemplary Standing with Accreditation Canada.

He also oversaw the alignment of Carefor’s programs and services across Eastern Ontario, including the standardization of care practices at the organization’s retirement home in Pembroke and community support services throughout Pembroke-Renfrew County.

“On behalf of the board and the entire Carefor team, we thank Steve for his decades of service and wish him every success in this next chapter,” added MacKenzie.

Carefor has appointed Emma Tibbo as acting chief executive officer while the board conducts a formal search for Perry’s permanent successor.

Tibbo recently joined Carefor as vice-president of people, strategy and growth after serving as chief executive officer of The Glebe Centre and Abbotsford House. Her previous leadership experience includes senior positions with The Ottawa Hospital, Queensway Carleton Hospital, BDO Canada and ParaMed Home Healthcare. She also previously served on Carefor’s board of directors.

“Emma’s proven leadership, healthcare expertise and knowledge of Carefor make her exceptionally well-positioned to guide the organization during this transition,” said MacKenzie. “The board is confident in her ability to provide stability, advance key priorities and support Carefor’s long-term success.”

Two student-led initiatives are being organized at École secondaire catholique La Citadelle.

Matchs de l’espoir

May 14, from 5 to 8 p.m., the senior soccer teams from l’école secondaire catholique La Citadelle and l’école secondaire catholique Le Relais will participate in the “Matchs de l’espoir” at Optimist Park in Cornwall. The event aims to raise funds for the Canadian Cancer Society. The students are playing for a cause that has touched many families in our community.

Fear Factor 

Throughout the month of May, La Citadelle’s Spirit Club is organizing a Fear Factor fundraiser in support of the Carefor Cornwall Hospice. Students are collecting donations to reach fundraising milestones that will unlock different challenges completed by staff members during a final event May 29, in front of the school.

This year, donations are being made online directly through the Carefor platform. Here is the link to the fundraiser: https://carefor.ca/event/levee-de-fonds-fear-factor/Share this article

A celebration of life held at Rurban Brewing has raised $1,000 for Carefor Hospice Cornwall in memory of Kerri Bergeron, a devoted educator who passed away April 7 at the age of 50.

Friends and family gathered at one of Bergeron’s favourite places alongside her husband, Leigh, and daughter, Kali, to honour her life while supporting the hospice that cared for her in her final days.

“On April 7th, I had to say goodbye to Kerri. She was my world for 30 years,” said Leigh Bergeron. “Hospice was truly amazing in every way possible. Their care and support are unmatched! It is our great honour to do what we can to help support their efforts to help others experiencing the same loss we have.”

Bergeron was widely known as an inspiring educator who built a successful high school hairdressing program, mentoring students and helping them pursue careers in the skilled trades. Her classroom was recognized as a welcoming space where students felt supported and encouraged to succeed.

In keeping with her generous spirit, Bergeron also chose to donate her body to science, ensuring her commitment to education and learning would continue beyond her lifetime.

Hospice officials said the donation will directly support compassionate end-of-life care in the community.

“We are incredibly grateful to Rurban Brewing, Leigh, and Kali for hosting such a beautiful celebration of life in Kerri’s memory,” said Rhonda Simpson, Fundraising Manager at Hospice Cornwall. “This generous donation means so much to Hospice, as it helps us continue providing compassionate end-of-life care to members of our community.”

Simpson added that Bergeron’s passing is also a personal loss, having met her through figure skating. “Kerri will be deeply missed.”

The family has encouraged further donations to hospice care or breast cancer research in Bergeron’s memory.

Annual fundraiser for hospice supports operations and provides the opportunity for families to reunite to remember loved ones.

The Hike for Hospice fundraiser helps to ease the pain of passing but is increasingly becoming a time and place for reunion.

“The run is more than just fundraising; it’s also a day to commemorate and remember loved ones, and to visit as a family,” Carefor Hospice Cornwall fundraising manager Rhonda Simpson said on Sunday.

The Hike for Hospice attracted about 80 participants, including Connie McGillis, who was happy to socialize afterwards with former clients, staff members, and volunteers.

McGillis, like many of the participants, wore a personalized shirt that bore the name of a hospice patient — in her case, Della Lauber.

“She was my best friend and second mother,” McGillis said.

This year’s event also marked the first time organizers set up a table for participants to personalize small rocks with the names of hospice patients. They were placed within the hospice’s new memorial garden that was donated by Habitat for Humanity Cornwall and the Counties.

Fundraisers collected an estimated $30,000 for hospice, although the final figure is still to be determined.

Simpson said she expected registration would continue to rebound after the hike was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carefor PR/fundraising manager Trevor Eggleton said there is a possibility of further growth as Carefor considers the idea of moving the hike into a more public venue, away from the hospice property, which is near the far end of Cornwall’s Second Street West.

Simpson said she was just as grateful for the corporate support, citing title sponsors: Dignity Memorial — Lahaie and Sullivan Cornwall Funeral Homes, and M. John Sullivan.

Cornwall Kinsmen Club members once again served up a barbecue and treats for participants and volunteers.

Dignitaries supported the hike, including Cornwall Mayor Justin Towndale, Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry MP Eric Duncan, Stormont— Dundas—South Glengarry MPP Nolan Quinn, hospice physician Dr. Raji Menon, and Carefor director of community and hospice Jason Samson.

“It’s great to see the growth of this event for hospice; we’re very fortunate to have this facility in our community,” said Towndale, after completing his hike.

The mayor said hospice’s community support has been so consistent, it is one of the few charitable organizations which do not request direct financial assistance from the municipality.

Fundraising also support hospice’s other services, including bereavement support.

For more information on Carefor Hospice Cornwall, visit carefor.ca/services/palliative-care.

Hike for Hospice, an annual event held in support of compassionate end-of-life care at Carefor Hospice Cornwall, will be held May 3 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at 1507 Second St.  West.

For more information, visit carefor.ca/event/hike-for-hospice.

This meaningful community event brings together families, friends, and supporters to honour loved ones while raising essential funds to support hospice care in our region.

The Hike for Hospice is not only a fundraiser, but a powerful opportunity to highlight personal stories of remembrance, community connection, and the importance of accessible palliative care.

Carefor Hospice Cornwall opened its doors to local palliative care patients in the fall of 2009.

Since that date, it has provided end of life care to more than 1,200 residents and their families.

All services are free of charge to the patient. Hike for Hospice helps to raise much-needed funds to assist in the continued operation of the hospice.

The second annual Valentine’s Day Gala for Carefor Hospice Cornwall at the Agora Catholic Centre, raised $9,000 to support end-of-life care across Cornwall and SDG.

Guests enjoyed a champagne reception, formal dinner, live and silent auctions, and a Heads and Tails game. Tickets were $150, with tables of ten available for $1,500. Ghislain Mayer of Country Catering said, “We chose to run a fundraiser for hospice because it’s one of those organizations that quietly support families during the most difficult moments of their lives.” Jackie Lafave of Seaway Valley Entertainment added, “We felt it was important to give back and help ensure Hospice services remain available to other families.”

Rhonda Simpson of Carefor noted that with 40 per cent of operating costs funded by the community and 205 admissions in 2025, “events like this are vital” to sustaining hospice programs. “Every dollar raised stays right here in our community,” Simpson added. “It helps ensure that patients and their families receive compassionate, dignified care when they need it most, without having to leave Cornwall for support.”

A new hub for mental health, addictions and housing support services has opened in Pembroke. 

A grand opening ceremony for the Renfrew County Mesa HART Hub was held on Thursday, February 5th.  

The facility, located at the Carefor Mackay Centre in Pembroke, will provide services to people struggling with homelessness, mental health issues and substance abuse. 

Renfrew County’s Chief Administrative Officer, Craig Kelley, spoke at the event saying it was something people within the county and other levels of government have been working towards for a long time.

Many figures involved at various stages in the process of opening the facility were in attendance.  

Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke MPP Billy Denault spoke about the provincial government’s investments in expanding housing, mental health and addictions services.

Lanark-Frontenac-Kingston MPP John Jordan was also in attendance on behalf of Associate Minister of Health and Addictions Vijay Thanigasalam, who Jordan works as a parliamentary assistant to. 

Jordan spoke about the government’s work to expand healthcare access provincially.

Renfrew County Warden Jennifer Murphy said the opening of the hub is an important milestone, because the work it represents reflects the needs of people in the community.

Pembroke Mayor Ron Gervais said he believes the city and the surrounding area needs more serivces like this, and that he was proud to be in attendance.

Pembroke Regional Hospital CEO and President Sabine Mersmann said that collaboration has always been one of her team’s top priorities, and she’s pleased to see so many different groups join forces to open the Mesa HART Hub.

Representatives from Carefor were also in attendance. 

The hub is built on the “Mesa” model, described as a “collaborative, multi-sector approach” to providing care for people in need of its services. 

(Written by Steve Berard)

John Street intake centre connects range of services

CBC News · Posted: Feb 05, 2026 2:40 PM EST | Last Updated: February 5

Renfrew County is unveiling its take on Ontario’s HART Hub treatment model: a web of agencies and services tied to a starting point near the Pembroke waterfront.

The intake centre at 156 John St. is open 24/7 and can refer people looking for housing, job or mental health support, including addictions, to a number of options for help.

That includes 10 supportive treatment beds at a local motel, and 12 short-term beds at the Carefor Mackay Centre retirement home and support centre that have been available since October.

Among the groups involved are the Pembroke hospital, The Grind non-profit café and nearby Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation. The province is spending $6.3 million over three years on the project.

County and provincial officials held the hub’s official opening on Thursday, but the work to get there stretches back many months.

Renfrew County started its Mesa project in 2024 to try to find a co-ordinated solution for the causes of its mental health and substance use problems. Its HART Hub was approved last January.

WATCH | CBC follows the mesa project in its early months:

Eighty-four Renfrew County residents died of opioid toxicity from 2020 until the end of 2024, according to Public Health Ontario. There were 316 emergency room visits during that time for the same reason.

Those numbers don’t account for health emergencies from other types of drugs, nor other downsides of addiction the county is trying to address.

When it comes to housing, Renfrew County’s community housing waitlist has more than 2,000 households.

• Nearly 85,000 people homeless in Ontario, up 8% in one year: report
• More than 2,200 died of opioids in Ontario in 2024 as numbers trend downward

Ontario’s ruling Progressive Conservatives have turned to HART Hubs instead of supervised drug consumption sites, saying they’re a better way to get people treatment. Hubs do not offer supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.

Renfrew County’s hub is the fifth in eastern Ontario, along with Belleville, a joint Brockville-Smiths Falls location and two in Ottawa.

Province supporting community safety and addiction recovery with 28 HART Hubs delivering care across Ontario

February 05, 2026

PEMBROKE — The Ontario government is expanding access to high-quality mental health and addictions care with the launch of a new Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Renfrew County. This is part of the province’s almost $550 million investment to open 28 HART Hubs across Ontario to protect the safety of children and families, while improving access to recovery and treatment services for people facing housing instability, mental health and substance use challenges.

“We are building a stronger, more connected system of mental health and addictions care that better reflects the needs of communities and focuses on lasting recovery,” said Vijay Thanigasalam, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions. “The opening of this new HART Hub will ensure that people struggling with mental health and addictions challenges in Renfrew County can get the care they need on their path to recovery.”

HART Hubs connect people to a range of comprehensive treatment and recovery services, including primary care, mental health services, addictions care, social services and employment supports. The County of Renfrew MESA HART Hub is now operational and delivering services in collaboration with partners including the Renfrew Pembroke Regional Hospital and the Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre, working together to connect people with the supports they need, when they need them.

The Hub brings together a collaborative network of clinical, social service and care providers working to deliver services tailored to local needs, including:

• Primary care
• Mental health services
• Addictions services
• Case management for mental health and addictions
• Supportive housing
• Indigenous services
• Basic Needs (food, showers, and clothing.)
• Life skills and employment counselling

Through Your Health: A Plan for Connected and Convenient Care and building on the Roadmap to Wellness, the province is connecting individuals to integrated mental health and addictions services, where and when they need it.

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Quick Facts

• The Renfrew County MESA HART Hub is located in Pembroke at the Carefor Mackay Centre (700 Mackay St).
• The HART Hub delivers services in partnership with the Pembroke Regional Hospital, the County of Renfrew, Carefor, the City of Pembroke, the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan, MacKay Manor, Addictions Treatment Service, the Phoenix Centre for Children and Families, Ontario Addiction Treatment Centre (OATC) – Pembroke, Pathways Alcohol and Drug Treatment Services, the Renfrew County Youth Wellness Hub, The Grind Pembroke, Renfrew County and District Health Unit, local municipalities, the Upper Ottawa Valley OPP detachment, first responders and other community organizations.
• The Hub offers a unique network‑based model of support, connecting a 24/7 intake centre with existing community access points so people can move easily between services based on their needs.
• As of April 1, 2025, nine Consumption and Treatment Services sites successfully transitioned to HART Hubs, delivering expanded recovery and treatment services to ensure timely, high-quality care for vulnerable individuals while keeping communities safe. More HART Hubs are now opening across Ontario.
• HART Hubs will also add close to 900 supportive housing units across the province. This is over 300 more than originally planned, helping people transition to stable, long-term housing.
• In March 2025, the government announced an investment of almost $550 million to open a total of 28 HART Hubs across the province, nine more HART Hubs than initially planned.
• This includes two Indigenous-led Hubs in Kenora and Sault Ste. Marie/Blind River/Sagamok Anishnawbek, delivering culturally relevant care in partnership with Indigenous service organizations.
• With a focus on treatment and recovery, HART Hubs will not offer safer supply, supervised drug consumption or needle exchange programs.
• Through the Roadmap to Wellness, Ontario is investing $3.8 billion over 10 years to close gaps in mental health and addictions care and build a world-class system. This investment is helping create new services and expand programs across the province.
• As part of Budget 2025, Ontario is investing $303 million over the next three years to support community-led and delivered mental health programs.

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Quotes

“The MESA HART Hub is a welcome addition to health services in the County of Renfrew. The HART Hub will bring together mental and primary health services, transitional housing, social supports and employment counselling, all under one roof. It will provide a safe and welcoming space for those who need immediate support, so they can have positive long-term results.”

– John Jordan
Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and MPP for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston

“The opening of the HART Hub reflects the province’s commitment to expanding integrated, community-based supports that connect people to care, reduce pressure on emergency services and improve safety and well-being across Ontario. This is about coordinated, accountable solutions that deliver better outcomes for communities. We thank the province for its annual investment in delivering these essential services closer to home.”

– Billy Denault
MPP for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke

“The opening of this HART Hub represents a shift in how we respond to complex needs in our community: from fragmented supports to a coordinated system of care. Through strong partnerships across health, social services and community agencies, Renfrew County is building a model rooted in compassion, accountability, and results. The HART Hub brings together the right partners, in the right place, to connect people with support when it matters most. This is a community led solution, made possible through the Mesa initiative, collaboration and an unwavering belief that everyone deserves the chance to be well.”

– Jennifer Murphy
Warden, County of Renfrew

“As a county-wide provider of mental health services and a leading partner in this initiative, we couldn’t be more proud of the work that has already been done to address the needs of those in the vulnerable sectors of our communities. Now, more than ever, there is great value in being able to draw on collective expertise by working closely with others. Ontario’s investment in this work is reflective of that and we are very pleased to be part of this and the outcomes that will be achieved.”

– Sabine Mersman
President and CEO, Pembroke Regional Hospital and Co-lead, Renfrew County HART Hub

Northern Credit Union has donated thousands of dollars to various Ottawa Valley-based charities and organizations. 

The bank announced on Friday, December 19th that it had donated $130,000 to various causes across Ontario through its “Giving for Good” initiative, supporting the various communities the bank operates out of. 

“Giving back is part of who we are year-round, but there’s something especially meaningful about running our Giving for Good campaign during the holiday season,” explains Jessie Wright, a Communications and Community Investment Specialist with Northern Credit Union.  

“This time of year, needs become more visible, pressures increase, and community connection matters more than ever. Each donation is a step toward a brighter future for people in our communities, and we are proud to play a role in that.” 

The following Renfrew County-based charities received funding through the initiative this year: 

• Arnprior and District Food Bank 
• Barry’s Bay Senior Citizens Home Support Services’ Meals on Wheels program 
• Carefor Health and Community Services in Pembroke 
• Deep River and District Health Foundation 
• First Step Options Pregnancy Resource Centre in Pembroke 
• Hospice Renfrew Community 
• Madawaska Valley Association for Community Living 
• Ontario SPCA Renfrew County 
• St. Joseph’s Food Bank in Pembroke 
• The Longer Table in Arnprior 

A total of 57 charities benefited from the Giving for Good campaign this year, in communities like Thunder Bay, Timmins and Sault Ste. Marie. 

(Written by Steve Berard)