Healing through Grief Conference
Healthy Coping Strategies In Your Journey Through Grief
November 18, 2025 | 9am - 4pm
Superior Inn, 555 Arthur St. West, Thunder Bay, ON
- In-person Registration Fee: $60/person. In-person registration fee includes all sessions, a registration gift, coffee/tea service in the morning, and lunch.
- Virtual Registration Fee for Individuals in the Region: $20
A Full Day Conference allowing participants to gain healthy coping strategies from local experts in the field.
The conference will include various workshops and a panel discussion on the topic of Seeing Grief Through Different Lenses
with panelists:
- Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller (Panel Moderator)
- Dr. Holly Prince
- Hannah Albani, Northern Ontario Regional Lead for the Ontario Caregiver Organization
- Nikita Matichuk, Nurse practitioner at Ontario Health atHome
Local practitioners in alternative therapies will be available in our vendors market.
This conference would not be possible without the generous support of:
Palliative Carelink
NorWest Community Health Centres
Thunder Bay Community Foundation
CERAH
Opening and Closing Ceremonies
Ron Kanutski, RSW, Comedian, Musician, MC, College Instructor Anishnawbe Cultural Teacher & Healing/Wellness Facilitator
Ron Kanutski is from the Bear Clan, and is Ojibway with Cree roots. He is a band member of the Red Rock Indian Band (Lake Helen 1st Nation) and his grandmother’s roots are from the Moose Cree Nation.
Ron is an energetic social worker, cultural teacher, group facilitator, college instructor, comedian, promoter, and musician who is a long-term resident of the Ogden East End community in Thunder Bay ON. As the sole proprietor of With Care Consulting and Ron Kanutski Comedy, he works diligently throughout Canada and the USA, going wherever he is called. He is a vocalist and performer in three bands, Voodoo Prophecy and founding member of Psycho Therapy and Wind Song (Native American Flute). Ron believes in the power of spirit and the importance of connection.
Panel Discussion: Seeing Grief Through Different Lenses
Panel Moderator: Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller
Kathy Kortes-Miller, MSW, PhD is an Associate professor in the School of Social Work, the Director of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health and the research chair in aging and end-of-life at Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. Kathy has a passion for contributing to improving the end-of-life care for all. Kathy's research is interdisciplinary and collaborative and she is a founding member of the Canadian Grief Alliance. She is the author of the book "Talking About Death Won't Kill You" with ECW Press and her most recent projects include a podcast called "Disrupting Death"; Conversations about medical assistance in dying.
Panelists
The following individuals will participate in the panel discussion:
Lead, Indigenous People's Health & Aging Division, CERAH
Northern Ontario Regional Lead for the Ontario Caregiver Organization
Hospice/Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner – Ontario Health atHome
Concurrent Morning Sessions
In-person attendees will have the opportunity to choose from one of the morning sessions. Virtual attendees will be able to join the hybrid session only.
The session will be 60 minutes in length.
Hybrid: Grief Yoga
This supportive practice is a blend of gentle yoga poses, movement, sound and breathwork which allows individuals to explore and process emotions.
Once discovered through awareness, expression, connection and surrender, both emotional and physical pain can be released from their body.
The techniques used in a Grief Yoga session, allow for safe and mindful exploration of emotions, to assist in coping with any type of loss.
Grief and Self Care
Grief can be raw, painful, and messy. It is important during times of grief to take care of yourself. Self-care is a crucial part of the healing process and can help ease the suffering of the mind, body, and spirit. As every individual’s grief is unique, so is their path to healing from a loss. What works for someone else, may not work for you and that’s okay. In this workshop you may find what self-care tips work for you. When you are grieving a loss, it is important to take care of you. Although not everyone experiences grief the same way. Everyone can benefit from a few key self care strategies. You will be shown some tips and strategies that will show how to reduce the intensity of grief over time and help you to care for yourself.
Concurrent Afternoon Sessions
In-person attendees will have the opportunity to choose from one of the afternoon sessions. Virtual attendees will be able to join the hybrid session only.
The session will be 60 minutes in length.
Hybrid: Understanding Emotions in Grief
In this workshop participants will, through the use of didactics and sharing, will have an opportunity to explore the wide variety of emotions that one could experience on their grief journey. They will come to appreciate that their feelings are normal and need not be pathologized. They will also gain a better understanding of “grief attacks” and learn healthy ways to cope with them.
Moving Mindfully Through Grief
This will be a presentation about using mindfulness as a technique to help you cope with grief. Many people use mindfulness techniques without even realizing it. This presentation will help you to understand mindfulness and how it is so useful in helping you to process grief in a healthy way that will promote personal growth and resilience in the midst of your grieving journey. During the presentation you will practice some of these skills and learn how to use them in your daily life.
Agenda for both In-Person and Virtual Attendees
- 9:00 - 9:30 - Registration, coffee, vendors
- 9:30 - 10:00 - Opening Remarks & Ceremony
Song and Prayer by Elder Beatrice Twance-Hynes - 10:00 - 11:00 - Panel Discussion: Seeing Grief Through Differing Lenses with moderator Dr. Kathy Kortes-Miller and panelists:
- Hannah Albani
- Nikita Matichuk
- Dr. Holly Prince
- 11:00 - 11:15 - Break, Visits with Vendors
- 11:15 - 12:15 - Concurrent Workshops (in-person participants will choose one. Virtual attendees will have access to hybrid sessions only):
A. Hybrid: Grief yoga with Kelly McKinnon
B. Grief & Self Care with Diana Prairie - 12:15 - 1:15 -Lunch Break/Visits with Vendors and Regional Lunch & Learn (VIRTUAL)
- 1:15 - 2:15 - Concurrent Sessions (in-person participants will choose one. Virtual attendees will have access to hybrid sessions only):
C. Hybrid: Understanding Emotion in Grief with Claudia Otto
B. Moving Mindfully through Grief with Lisa Laitenen-Egbuchulam - 2:15 - 2:30 - Break, Visits with Vendors
- 2:30 - 3:00 - Grounding Activity
- 3:00 - 4:00 - Closing Remarks, Closing Song and Prayer
Participants receive certificates
Personal Lens on Grief Art Exhibition
November 2025
In conjunction with the Healing Through Grief Conference, an art exhibition will be held during the month of November. A Personal Lens on Grief is an innovative way to reflect and share your grief journey through using pictures. By sharing our grief experiences and feelings through pictures, we can encourage discussion, collaborate for change and build a community of support.
Alternative Therapy Vendors
We are looking for local practitioners in the following areas to be part of our vendors market:
- Reiki
- Relflexology
- Massage therapy
- Art therapy
- Movement / Dance
- Yoga
- Aromatherapy
- Therapeutic Touch
- Meditation
- Naturopathic Medicine
- Counselling Clinics
Cost of Table: $100, includes lunch for 1 person
