From life-saving medical isotopes to award-winning Indigenous cuisine to research collaborations connecting health care, academia, and the dramatic arts, Owen Sound Innovates will showcase the depth and diversity of innovation happening in rural communities today.
The City of Owen Sound is proud to present this free, in-person celebration of local innovators on Tuesday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. at Sydenham Campus, a regional innovation and skilled trades training centre, in partnership with Grey County Economic Development.
The programming will celebrate a wide variety of innovators:
PANEL: UNLOCKING OUR ISOTOPE OPPORTUNITY WITH THE SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO ISOTOPE COALITION
Lifesaving medical isotopes are rapidly transforming cancer care—and the City of Owen Sound is helping to increase patient access to these innovative diagnostic and treatment therapies as a founding member of the Southwestern Ontario Isotope Coalition (SOIC), led by the Nuclear Innovation Institute. Discover the origin story of this cross-sector collaboration and how our region is supporting the global isotope supply chain from production and packaging to patient care and educational programming. Moderator Cait MacKinnon (Nuclear Innovation Institute) will be joined by Mayor Ian Boddy, Dr. Rebecca Brookham (Brightshores Office of Research and Innovation), Mike Chegahno (Gamzook’aamin aakoziwin), and Dave Shorey (Georgian College).
FIRESIDE CHAT: NAAGAN
Chef Zach Keeshig of Naagan is a local culinary innovator bringing progressive Indigenous cuisine to a global audience using locally farmed and foraged ingredients. Earning international headlines for an innovative sweetgrass ice cream collaboration with Chapman’s and securing a spot on TIME’s “World’s Greatest Places” list, Naagan is bringing local flavour to global audiences. Join Chef Keeshig and Chef Samantha Chevrier alongside host Rebecca Ellerdiem (City of Owen Sound) for a fireside chat and live demonstration of the ingredients used in Naagan’s signature non-alcoholic drink pairing menu.
PANEL: BEYOND THE CURTAIN CALL: USING LOCAL ACTORS TO ADVANCE LOCAL RESEARCH
Last year Brightshores physician Dr. Kelly Fenn led a research project involving the Brightshores Office of Research and Innovation, Georgian College, and actors from the Roxy Little Theatre Company. This team collaborated to create a simulated training exercise for community health care workers to get hands-on palliative care experience working together as an interdisciplinary team. Enter Stage Left, Dr. Rebecca Brookham (Georgian/Brightshores) will be joined by Georgian College collaborators Dr. Treva Job, Wendy McDonald, and Michael Smith; Brightshores collaborator Kailyn Clarke; and Roxy Little Theatre actors Bill Murphy and Shirley Holmes to discuss the local health care innovations that are transforming patient outcomes.
The event is open to the public, but space is limited. Advance registration is strongly encouraged. Doors open at 5PM.
Presented by: City of Owen Sound
