Lydia used to live in a small town in Nova Scotia, on Mi'kmaq territory, when she first started working in the birth world. At that time in Nova Scotia, Midwifery was not legislated. She participated with the Midwifery Coalition of Nova Scotia, sitting around passionate members' kitchen table's discussing what legislation and integration would mean within a health authority and what these transitions would look like. She saw then what the power of organization and design could accomplish.
Fast forward to many kitchen tables later and a Bachelor's of Midwifery, focusing on rural midwifery care, Lydia graduated in 2014 from Laurentian University knowing that she wanted to work in a rural setting.
Lydia was drawn to the Cowichan Valley, on Coast Salish Territory, as this area was maintaining collegial relationships between inter-professional care providers and within the health authority. Lydia believes that the healthiest way for midwives to practice is within a community/organization that supports the science of Midwifery and the spiritual act of a profession, that has existed for as long as the First Peoples were inhabiting these lands.
Lydia feels strongly about maintaining curiosity, as there is always more to learn. With a penchant for gathering with purpose and design and her independent interest in continually acquiring the skills to have complicated conversations and healthy discourse around kitchen tables, Lydia looks forward to taking on this new role within Island Health.