Meet Gwen Devereaux — President of the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (Gateway CERH) and a passionate advocate for stronger, healthier rural communities. 💙🌿
As a founding member of Gateway CERH, Gwen has helped advance rural health through research, education, collaboration, and community partnerships, supporting healthier futures for rural regions across Canada.
We’re excited to welcome Gwen to Shore to Shore 2026, where she’ll share insights on leadership, collaboration, and strengthening rural healthcare. 🌊✨
Only 9 days remain until Shore to Shore (S2S) 2026 begins in Western Newfoundland. From June 16–23,
Shore to Shore will bring together communities, artists, researchers, organizations, and participants for a week focused on connection, creativity, storytelling, wellness, culture, music, research, and rural collaboration.
As the event draws closer, we are looking forward to welcoming everyone who will be joining us to share knowledge, build relationships, and celebrate the strength and vibrancy of rural communities.
📍 Western Newfoundland 📅 June 16–23, 2026
Learn more and register through the Shore to Shore (S2S) website.
We’re excited to welcome Women in Social Enterprise (WiSE) as one of four research teams featured in the Direction of Travel session at Shore to Shore 2026 in Norris Point, Newfoundland and Labrador 🌊
Representing the team are Casandra Bryant, one of the two research leads, and Ailsa Clark, Project Lead and Research Advisor 🌿
Casandra Bryant is a researcher based in Canada whose work focuses on rural development, social enterprise, and community-led innovation. She explores how social enterprises create social, environmental, and economic value in rural communities, with a strong focus on women’s leadership and inclusive economic development.
Ailsa Clark is the Founder and Executive Director of InspirAlba, a social enterprise based in Scotland’s Highlands and Islands supporting community enterprise and rural development. She led the development of the initial research brief for the WiSE project and has supported the research throughout as a strategic advisor and mentor, with a focus on collaboration and sustainable rural futures.
📅 Direction of Travel Session: June 19
🔗 Learn more about the research: https://ruralsehub.net/project/women-in-social-enterprise-collective-research-launch/
How do we care for the land, waters, and resources that sustain us — now and for future generations? 🌍🌱💧
🌿 Our third theme spotlight focuses on Environmental Stewardship — exploring conversations around food security, climate action, water protection, and long-term sustainability. These discussions invite us to reflect on our relationship with the environment and the shared responsibility we hold in caring for it. 🌾🌊🌦️
At S2S, Environmental Stewardship is about learning together through dialogue, storytelling, and collaboration across communities and knowledge systems. It highlights the importance of connecting local experiences with broader environmental understanding to inspire meaningful action. 🤝💡
As part of the CRRF/NAF Conference 2026, participants will continue to explore these ideas through Our Common Threads — a collaborative art project that gathers knowledge shared at the conference and expresses it through the universal language of art. 🎨🪡🌎
Stay tuned for more theme spotlights coming soon 👀
Join us for the 4Nurses Afternoon Session on June 19, where four accomplished nurses will share their experiences, insights, and perspectives on leadership, education, innovation, and community-driven healthcare.
Dr. Erica Hurley
A Mi’kmaq scholar and Assistant Professor in Memorial University’s Faculty of Nursing, Dr. Erica Hurley’s work focuses on Indigenous health, culturally safe healthcare practices, and decolonizing research methodologies. Through her teaching and research, she is helping advance health equity and support Indigenous perspectives in healthcare and education.
Kim English
Kim English is a nurse educator, researcher, and doctoral candidate whose work explores the innovation and leadership of rural and remote nurses. With a passion for inclusive, anti-racist, and anti-oppressive approaches to education, she is dedicated to strengthening nursing practice and healthcare delivery in rural communities.
Dr. De-Ann Sheppard
Dr. De-Ann Sheppard is a nurse practitioner, educator, researcher, and healthcare leader with more than 35 years of experience. Her work focuses on Indigenous health, equity-oriented care, and nursing education reform. She currently serves as Senior Strategist, Mi’kmaw and Indigenous Affairs with Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness.
Gwen Devereaux
Gwen Devereaux is a founding member and President of the Board of Directors of the Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (Gateway CERH). Through research, education, and collaboration, Gateway CERH works to improve health outcomes and quality of life in rural communities.
Hosted by Joanie Cranston, this engaging session will highlight the impact nurses have in shaping healthier, stronger rural communities.
We’re excited to highlight the first of two Shore to Shore Community Gatherings taking place as part of the CRRF/NAF/S2S Conference Series.
Hosted in Norris Point, Newfoundland & Labrador from June 18–20, 2026, this gathering will bring together local communities and visitors to explore rural life through art, science, Indigenous knowledge, storytelling, food, music, and meaningful conversations.
Centered around the theme of Relational Wellness, participants will engage in discussions about healthy aging, food security, environmental stewardship, community innovation, and the power of local knowledge to strengthen rural communities.
The Shore to Shore Community Gatherings are designed to extend the connections and conversations that begin during the CRRF/NAF Conference in Corner Brook, creating opportunities to share ideas, build relationships, and experience community-led approaches to rural development.
📍 Norris Point, Newfoundland & Labrador 📅 June 18–20, 2026
As part of Shore to Shore 2026, we’re excited to introduce three talented artists and community leaders whose interactive installations will invite participants to explore themes of identity, creativity, culture, and connection.
🧵 Sara Langer presents Our Common Threads, an interactive installation inspired by the relationships that connect people, place, and sustainability. An artist and Ph.D. student in Transdisciplinary Sustainability at Memorial University, Sara’s work explores the intersection of creative arts, ecological economics, and community resilience, with a focus on rural and coastal communities.
🐻 Matthew Perrier presents Bear Skin, a work informed by his L’Nu (Mi’kmaq) and French heritage. An artist, mentor, and workers’ rights advocate from Shallow Cove, Newfoundland, Matthew creates artwork that reflects culture, identity, and community resilience while honouring the diverse experiences that shape Newfoundland and Labrador.
🪡 Charlotte Taylor presents Oxford Punch Needle, celebrating creativity, craftsmanship, and community connection through fibre art. As Community Impact and Engagement Specialist at Atlantic Edge Credit Union, Charlotte is passionate about collaboration, community engagement, and creating positive social impact throughout Newfoundland and Labrador.
Together, these installations showcase the power of art to spark conversation, strengthen connections, and tell the stories that shape our communities.
🌊 Shore to Shore 2026 📍 Western Newfoundland 📅 June 18–20, 2026
How can creativity help communities share knowledge, learn from one another, and build something meaningful together? 🌎✨
This theme explores collaborative projects that connect communities through shared creativity, storytelling, and collective learning 🧵💬🌿
At the heart of S2S is creating opportunities for people to exchange ideas and experiences while valuing different ways of knowing and creating together 🤝💡
Join us in exploring Our Common Threads — a collaborative art project that captures knowledge from the conference and translates it through the universal language of art 🎨🪡🌊
We’re excited to welcome three inspiring guides to Shore to Shore 2026:
🌿 Dr. Sarah-Patricia Breen — championing rural innovation and community development across Canada.
🪶 Elder Dr. Albert Marshall — respected Mi’kmaw Elder and co-creator of the Two-Eyed Seeing guiding principle.
💙 Candace Matthews — communications leader, cooperative advocate, and community champion from Newfoundland and Labrador.
Together, they’ll help guide conversations about the future of rural communities during our Direction of Travel session in Norris Point on June 19, 2026.
🌊 Shore to Shore 2026 📍 Western Newfoundland 📅 June 18–20, 2026
Meet Patrick Michell — former Chief of T’eqt”aqtn’mux (Kanaka Bar Indian Band), renewable energy leader, and former Lytton First Nations Rebuild Director 💙🌿
For more than three decades, Patrick has helped lead Indigenous-led renewable energy and climate adaptation initiatives throughout British Columbia’s Fraser Canyon. Following the devastating 2021 Lytton wildfire, he has continued to champion community recovery, resilience, and rebuilding efforts for future generations.
Recognized with the Clean Energy BC Lifetime Achievement Award, the Clean50 Lifetime Achievement Award, and the King Charles III Coronation Medal, Patrick brings a wealth of knowledge and lived experience to conversations about climate resilience and community-led solutions.
We’re honoured to have Patrick as part of S2S 2026 and look forward to learning from his experiences and insights on Indigenous-led adaptation and building resilient communities 🌊⚡✨
