Aneta Fishman is a hopeful believer, education and health justice activist, transformational connector, visionary learner and a change advocate; a leader who helps facilitate dialogue to disrupt status quo and co-create new and different ways of seeing systems in an effort to break barriers and make service accessible to all and especially those historically marginalized and oppressed in society. Embracing challenges as gateways to opportunities to inspire and grow, Aneta works with others to help remove roadblocks, fuel engagement, invite voice and transform structures in progressive and inclusive ways. Aneta, a wife and mother of three adult sons, was diagnosed in 2019 at the age of 45, with stage 3b colorectal cancer. With the support of family, friends, and medical professionals, Aneta has overcome a difficult time in her life and is NED. She is currently part of a cancer clinical trial with Dr. Peter Stotland at North York General Hospital/Sunnybrook Hospital.

I am a patient and rectal cancer survivor. I work at my local pharmacy, at the customer service and deliver medication to patients in the surrounding area. I was born in Italy in 1969 migrated to Canada in 1978. I am a mother of 4 and I owned a daycare for 12 years until I received my diagnosis. A two years battle started at the end of 2015. Now I am followed at the Jewish General Hospital in Montreal, to make sure I will stay healthy.

Anouline studied at Concordia University and graduated with a bachelor's in Exercise Science, specializing in athletic therapy in May 2008. During her bachelor's, she worked as a personal trainer in a community gym to improve her exercise prescription. After graduation, she worked as the Head Athletic Therapist at a college for a year contract. Since July 2009, she is the Cancer Exercise & Rehabilitation Program Coordinator at the Hope & Cope Cancer Wellness Centre. There, she oversees all physical activities, evaluates cancer patients' physical capacity and create personalized exercise programs to help them thrive during their cancer journey. It is proven that exercise is safe and helpful for cancer patients, even while on treatment Though, the way to go about can be different for each individual.

Mr. Barry D. Stein, B.Com., B.C.L., LL.B., graduated from McGill University. An accomplished lawyer, he has been a member of the Bar of Quebec since 1981. Barry sits on the Board of Directors of several corporations, not-for-profit organizations and foundations. He is the president of the Coalition Priorité Cancer au Québec and a founding member of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer National Colorectal Cancer Screening Network. As the president of Colorectal Cancer Canada, Barry represents the interests of cancer patients and speaks regularly to medical professionals, industry, government, and patient groups both in and outside of Canada. Barry has been a key advocate for population-based colorectal cancer screening initiatives, patient and physician education and multidisciplinary health professional consensus guidelines to improve patient outcomes across Canada. As a survivor of metastatic colorectal cancer diagnosed in 1995, Barry was obliged to seek health care outside of Canada to fight the disease. His judgement, obtained in the Superior Court of Quebec, serves as a leading precedent for the reimbursement of out of country health care.

Brandon Sheffield is an anatomic and molecular pathologist with the William Osler Health System. His clinical focus is on the delivery of biomarker data to facilitate personalized treatments for cancer patients.

Bryna Dilman has worked 15+ years in the nonprofit sector and is an expert in data and analytics with an extensive background in product marketing. Bryna’s true passion and excellence is in the domains of marketing, fundraising, and analytics, helping mission-focused organizations effect positive change. Bryna is an avid runner and cyclist and enjoys being outside and active with her family. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with Honors from York University as well as a Post-Graduate Degree in Corporate Communications and Public Relations from Seneca @ York University. Bryna was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in November 2020. She had radiation treatments at the end of December 2020 and in early January 2021along with surgery to remove cancer and part of my rectum January 13, 2021

Carly Berlin is an MSW (Masters of Social Work) graduate of McGill University (2012), with a specialization in Children and Families, and has been a member in good standing of the OTSTCFQ since December 2012. In August 2019, she joined the staff of Hope & Cope, a pioneering, non-profit, volunteer-based, professionally managed cancer support organization affiliated with the Jewish General Hospital. In her role as Hope & Cope's Cancer Wellness Centre Program Manager, Carly counsels individual clients as needed, oversees the Centre's assessment/registration process, structures self-help, educational, and support group programs, and trains and supervises workshop and support group facilitators, and manages the volunteers who deliver many of these programs.

Dr. Carmen G. Loiselle holds a Ph.D. degree in Psychology and Nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Dr. Loiselle is Professor in the Department of Oncology and the Ingram School of Nursing (ISoN) at McGill University. She is the recipient of the Christine and Herschel Victor/Hope & Cope Endowed Research Chair in Psychosocial Oncology. Dr. Loiselle’s research focuses on the unmet needs of individuals with cancer across the illness trajectory and innovative means to address these needs including the of digital health technologies.

Catherine Erickson left the corporate, business/teaching world in 2014. She began a new career in Fitness (CCAC) with further training and working with Stroke Survivors and fall prevention. Her husband had previously been diagnosed with metastatic prostrate cancer. They decided to sell their home, downsize and move. It took a year (2018) for their home to be built in Kingston. They took six of those months to live in Costa Rica coming back for their house possession in Oct 2019. On Dec. 19th, Catherine was diagnosed and now she is sharing her wellness journey as part of Colorectal Cancer Canada (Kingston Support Group).

Chana Cohen is a Patient & Caregiver Support Specialist for Colorectal Cancer Canada. For 17 years prior, she worked with neurological and geriatric populations as a medical social worker within the CIUSS Centre Ouest organization, in Montreal, QC. Chana is a stage 3 colon cancer survivor and celebrated 5 years NED this past February! She is a member of the Golden Key Society (academic achievement), is the mother of two and resides in St. Lazare, QC.

Chris Schwartz is living positivity ! By focusing on the positive has helped her in her career as an HR Manager and raising her three sons. When being positive started to dim then finding laughter to brighten it again. Chris’s ex husband was diagnosed in 2008 with colon cancer, she became the caregiver and learned the health care system to support his needs until his journey ended in 2009. Chris was diagnosed in November 2016 (stage 3) with resection and chemo for 6 months. Chris’ shock gave way to positivity to fight through it. Chris truly understands what it means when someone says they are a caregiver, patient and survivor. She has been each one and will always share her experience or just listen when someone needs it. Chris’ cancer led her to be an advocate and awareness of Colorectal cancer and raise dollars each year. She is the Team Lead for PFYT Tri-Cities. When she isn’t raising awareness, in her spare time she is hobby florist and finds the beauty and laughter in each day. She will push (Persist Until Something Happens) her tush every year to raise awareness and help fund research and patient support. Live Positivity :)

Darren Brenner is an epidemiologist and data scientist at the University of Calgary where he leads a program of research focused on using big data and precision health analytics to examine cancer risk and outcomes. To date he has published over 150 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals in the areas of oncology and epidemiology. He completed his PhD at the University of Toronto followed by a post-doctoral fellowship at the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization in Lyon France. He is the current co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Statistics Advisory Committee.

Dawn Richards, PhD, is the founder of Five02 Labs Inc., and Director of Patient and Public Engagement at Clinical Trials Ontario. With a PhD (Analytical Chemistry) from the University of Alberta, and experience in a variety of roles during the past 20 years, it is her diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis ten years ago that instigated a journey to combine her passion for science with making the most of her diagnosis. In her role at CTO, Dawn is charged with executing on CTO’s strategic pillar of patient and public engagement.

Debbie is a long-time meditation teacher and was the regional senior teacher for Ontario and Western New York for a large world-wide meditation community, before helping to found Community Meditation in 2018. She works in the software industry and is the mother of three grown children.

After 30 years leading Global commercial teams in pharmaceutical and biotech organizations, Dominique founded her own consultancy firm Cosawi. She advises organizations with their business transformation strategies and customer centric approach. She is also a certified executive coach. Originally from Quebec, Dominique has a scientific & research academic background and is an accomplished international business leader, a panelist and keynote speaker in Europe and the U.S. in the areas of Commercial Excellence, customer centric engagement & Global Account Management. She is a sought-after writer and is published in journals like Journal of Sales Transformation, Velocity, and others on these topics. Prior to starting her consultancy firm, she served as a commercial executive within Lifesciences companies such as Novartis, Pfizer, Zoetis and UCB. She held executives positions in North America, Europe and Globally and had the opportunity of managing teams in more that 36 countries around the world, leading activities to optimize profitability and effectiveness. She developed a strong cultural expertise & passion for people and diversity. She sits on the board of SAMA (Strategic Account Management Association) since 2011 and was previously on the HBA (Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association) steering committee for internal strategy, and the CCPE board (Canadian Council for Pharmaceutical Education). Dominique’s lives between Montreal, Quebec and Brussels, Belgium to stay close to her global clients. She speak French and English

Dr. Jonathan Loree is a medical oncologist at BC Cancer who treats cancers of the gastrointestinal tract, and is an Assistant professor at the University of British Columbia. He completed his medical oncology training at BC Cancer and then undertook a translational research fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer, before returning to British Columbia. His research interests are focused on biomarker development, genomics, and liquid biopsies to guide therapy selection. He is co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Trials Group Colon Cancer Disease Group.  

Dr. De Vera is an Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences where she holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. She holds a Bachelors degree in Biochemistry and Masters and Doctoral degrees in Health Care and Epidemiology. An epidemiologist and health services researcher her research program spans pragmatic studies in real-world settings and population-based studies using administrative databases to study patient experiences with disease and treatments, particularly in rheumatology and oncology. She brings the patient perspective to her research with her own experiences of being diagnosed with young-onset colorectal cancer in 2016 at the age 36. Challenges and experiences of her cancer journey, especially as a young adult cancer patient has inspired Mary to apply her expertise in epidemiology to the study of her own disease. 

Dr. Mary Jane Esplen is Professor and Vice- Chair, Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, former Clinician- Scientist at University Health Network and founded de Souza Institute –a National Centre of education for oncology health professionals. She held Career Scientist awards from CIHR and NCIC for psycho-oncology social research, completing studies of treatments to support adjustment, body image and management of grief and loss.  Dr. Esplen gives numerous workshops and keynotes and has received numerous awards, including the lifetime achievement award from Canadian Association Psychosocial Oncology and the Bernard Fox Memorial Award from International Psycho-oncology Society.   

Marylise Boutros is a Staff Colorectal Surgeon at the Jewish General Hospital (JGH) and Associate Professor of Surgery at McGill University, in Montreal, Canada. Her clinical interests are advanced minimally invasive approaches for colorectal cancer. She treats colon and rectal cancer, with a research focus on functional outcomes and survivorship. Dr. Boutros is the Program Director of the Colorectal Surgery Residency at McGill. She also leads the JGH-McGill Colon & Rectal Surgery Outcomes Research Program that is focused on innovation and outcomes research.

As a licensed Naturopathic Doctor, I work with my patients to determine the underlying causes of their health concerns. Using a variety of natural therapies including diet, lifestyle modifications, herbal medicine, nutritional supplementation, acupuncture, and vitamin injections, I strive to develop a comprehensive treatment plan that fits you and your lifestyle.

Dr. Gill is a Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia and a medical oncologist specializing in gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies at BC Cancer – Vancouver.  She is actively engaged in education and research, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters to her credit.  Dr. Gill currently serves as the Chair of the Canadian Clinical Trials Group (CCTG) GI Disease Site Committee, and is President-Elect for the Canadian Association of Medical Oncologists. 

Dr. Timothy Hanna is a clinician scientist at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. He is based in the Queen’s University Cancer Research Institute (QCRI) Division of Cancer Care and Epidemiology (CCE), where his research focuses on three translational streams of health services research: quality of care, access to care and health technology assessment.

My name is Dylan Fournier, I am 23 years old and I’m a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan! I was diagnosed with Colon Cancer in 2017 at the age of 19. I had also been diagnosed with colitis in 2012 which played a factor in finding out about my cancer. Before cancer I was a plumbing apprentice, something I had really started to love doing. Recently I have found a new love in podcasting and showing others my love of hockey through it, the reason I called my podcast (For the Love of Hockey). Through my journey with Colon Cancer I never doubted that I couldn’t beat it. It has truly shaped me into the person I am today and I look forward to helping show others that if you speak things into existence, you too can beat the odds and do anything you set your mind to.

I am currently 62 years old and oversee a number of successful businesses. I was diagnosed with stage 2 Colorectal Cancer in early March 2016 just prior to my 57th birthday. My operation occurred in early June, shortly thereafter the pathology report confirmed I was actually at the beginning of stage three and therefore began a 25 day protocol of chemo and radiation. In January of 2017 I was reconnected and while I suffer from LARS my symptoms are relatively minor.

Haydn is a 22-year-old colorectal cancer patient who was recently diagnosed with stage III colorectal cancer and Lynch Syndrome. Prior to his diagnosis, Haydn was a Canadian soccer player who was most recently plying his trade in Spain, with a career spanning across several countries which saw him play with teams in Spain, the United-Kingdom, the United-States, Canada, and Estonia. Haydn received his BA in International Business Management at York St John University (UK) in 2020 and was in the process of obtaining a MSc in International Business Management at the University of York (UK), but has taken a break in his studies to focus on his treatment.

Judith Blucheau is a dietitian-nutritionist, member of the Quebec Order of professional dietitians (Ordre professionnel des diététistes du Québec). She specializes in prevention and health promotion. Judith is passionate about food and wants to share her knowledge of nutrition in order to encourage you to adopt eating habits where variety, discovery and pleasure are emphasized.

Ken Dow is a trained meditation coach and course leader, and one of the founders of Community Meditation. He developed VOICE (Voice Of Innate Clarity Exercise), a technique to develop self-awareness and insight. Ken has been certified as a Big Mind process facilitator and a Kaizen-Muse Creativity Coach. He is a freelance developer, writer and teacher.

Melissa is a 38 year old woman, living in Toronto with her partner Paul. She works as an Executive Assistant in Private Equity and was diagnosed with stage III rectal cancer in September 2020. She has completed several months of intravenous chemotherapy and radiation, and the response has been extremely positive. She is expected to be entering a clinical trial and adopting the “watch and wait” approach in the very near future.

Paulette is a Registered Canadian Reflexology Therapist (RCRT) trained in Feet and Hand. In 2015 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She adamantly received Reflexology sessions throughout her 14 months of treatment and encourages cancer patients to include reflexology into their recovery plan. She is also certified in Repro-flexology™. This branch of reflexology not only help support individuals who are trying to conceive, it can also help people (male and female) rebalance their general reproductive health following cancer surgeries, chemo and other types of treatments. Paulette works in a clinical setting but also caters her services with home visits.

Pierre is stage III colon cancer survivor who was diagnosed during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is currently in the middle of a career change after more than 15 years in public relations. Pierre is also an avid rower, teaches at Scullhouse, and enjoys cycling and running throughout the city.

Rebecca Latimer is a nurse practitioner working at BC Cancer in Vancouver in the GI tumour group. She completed her RN at the University of Victoria in 2009. Subsequently she completed her Master in Nursing- Nurse Practitioner in 2016 and started working in medical oncology in 2018. Her passions include the outdoors, travelling (pre-covid) and spending time with her family.

Joining Santis in 2014, Ross helps companies and organizations working at the intersection of healthcare and life sciences solve complex strategy and policy challenges. Ross was the Director of Government Affairs and Corporate Responsibility at AstraZeneca Canada. Prior to joining AZ, Ross spent nearly four years as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at the MaRS Discovery District, an incubator and science park in downtown Toronto. Beyond his work at Santis, Ross is an Innovation Fellow at Women's College Hospital, where he advises the Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care. Most recently, Ross has helped to create and launch the Resilient Healthcare Coalition, a new cross-sector partnership focused on strengthening Canadian health systems as they emerge from COVID-19.

Sam Megarry is a Toronto-based yoga teacher and theatre artist (maker, performer, educator). At the age of 28, Sam was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer and subsequently Lynch Syndrome. Though Sam does not hold a medical degree, she considers herself (and anyone else who has been through cancer treatment) a "professional patient". Sam's work is not in cancer, but cancer has undoubtedly found its way into her work. Sam is currently developing a docu-diary play about her experience in the healthcare system that both harmed and healed her. Her yoga classes focus on connection to breath, discovering strength, and moving in ways that feel good for you. Sam would like to thank her movement practice, her resilient body, and her therapist.

Dr. Sami Chadi joined the Division of General Surgery, Sprott Department of Surgery appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto. His practice focus will be in Colorectal Surgery and Surgical Oncology. Dr. Chadi completed his undergraduate degree in Genetics at Western University and subsequently attended the University of Toronto for his medical degree. After graduating, he trained in the University of Western Ontario’s General Surgery program in London. He subsequently completed his Masters’ Degree in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Research Methodology at McMaster University. Upon obtaining his Royal College certification in General Surgery, he completed a fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic in Florida (CCF) in Colorectal Surgery, where he obtained his American Board of Surgery certification in General and Colorectal Surgery. He went on to complete a second year at CCF in Minimally Invasive and Advanced Colorectal Surgery focusing on minimally invasive approaches to re-operative surgery. During this time, he received training in advanced approaches to sphincter-preservation in rectal cancer including Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision (TaTME) using transanal endoscopic approaches to an oncologically appropriate proctectomy and coloanal reconstruction. Dr. Chadi’s research in Toronto focuses on functional and oncologic outcomes in Colorectal Surgical Oncology. He also focuses on optimizing patient education in the treatment setting to further empower his patients in their collective decision making. He is also interested in promoting social media access to patients and medical professionals (@SChadi_CRS) to enhance the establishment of international clinical and research collaborative initiatives.

Shilo Lefresne is a Radiation Oncologist at BC Cancer, Vancouver Centre, specializing in gastrointestinal and thoracic malignancies. She earned her medical degree at the University of Alberta, and completed her Radiation Oncology training at the University of British Columbia. In addition to her primary tumor sites, her clinical and academic interests include precision radiotherapy and palliative care. She is actively involved in clinical trials research exploring the role of advanced radiotherapy techniques in the management of oligometastases, brain metastases and bone metastases.

Tracey Rapier has been a Registered Dietitian for over 25 years. She graduated with a B.A.Sc. from Ryerson University in Toronto and completed a graduate dietetic internship at the Hamilton Health Sciences Centre. Tracey is a member of Ontario College of Dietitians. Tracey has worked at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre for the past 20years and currently works in outpatient oncology addressing nutrition needs of patients with cancer. Her specialty areas include GI, CNS, GU, and Breast ca. She also acts as an advisor and provides educational workshops to dietetic interns. Tracey has worked as a Dietitian in cardiology, renal, weight management and HIV/AIDs at Sunnybrook. In the past she has worked in Home Care, Health Promotion and in a support role in the private sector. Tracey has written nutrition articles about fitness and nutrition for the Canadian Health Network and has been a writer and reviewer for Nourish Magazine online.