New Indigenous-led primary care site celebrates new location in downtown London, Ont.

The Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre (SOAHAC) opened its new clinic site in downtown London, Ont., supporting the health and well-being of urban Indigenous peoples living in the region.

The grand opening, held on Wednesday, showcased the new space at 493 Dundas St. which more than doubles SOAHAC’s previous clinic, offering increased privacy and accessibility for clients.

Brian Dokis, CEO of SOAHAC, told Global News that the largely anticipated move was 10 years in the making.

“We received the go-ahead from the Ministry of Health in 2013 to look at a new site,” he said. “We wanted downtown, we needed more parking, [and] we kind of wanted to stay in the same neighbourhood.”

Along with the ministry, funding for the project was also provided by Health Capital Investment Branch Hospitals and Capital Division in bringing SOAHAC London’s primary care services together in one location.

Ahead of the opening, Michael Tibollo, associate minister of mental health and addictions, said that “the Government of Ontario congratulates SOAHAC on the opening of the much-needed new clinic.”

“Our government is proud to support SOAHAC as it continues to deliver exceptional care to Indigenous communities in Southern Ontario,” he said in a statement.

“Access to safe and culturally appropriate care is a crucial part of wellness for many across the province, and I look forward to working with SOAHAC to ensure that Indigenous individuals can get the supports they need, when and where they need them.”

The unveiling comes as SOAHAC also celebrates 25 years of providing culturally-aware care in the region.

“We are grateful to be celebrating 25 years of service in the region and look forward to continuing this important legacy for many more years to come with the support of our community,” Dokis said.

“We know that the need for our services will only continue to grow as more Indigenous individuals connect with us and understand the impact our high quality, holistic health and wellness practices can have in their lives.”

The downtown site is set to offer new programs including pharmacy services, physiotherapy, medicine gardens, sacred fire space, a sweat lodge, and more.

Among the list of new services to be offered at the clinic is a new community kitchen and food bank.

Jocelyn Zurbrigg is a dietician and diabetes educator who has worked with SOAHAC for nearly 16 years. She said that a new food insecurity program will also be offered through the new space.

“That’s probably the biggest thing I’m excited about here in the new space,” she said. “We provide fresh fruit and vegetable baskets, traditional foods to clients, sometimes twice, sometimes three times a week.

“I just think the space is so beautiful. It’s what our community deserves, and what we’ve needed for quite a long time,” Zurbrigg added.

“It also gives an opportunity to have people gather more instead of sending them to so many different buildings and spaces,” said Caroline Lidstone-Jones, CEO of the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council. “It’s more cohesive for the team to be able to work together in a more integrated fashion as well.”

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She added that this new space will further combine traditional healing practices with Western health.

“We work according to a model that’s based on the social determinants of health, which are your physical, spiritual, mental, [and] emotional components of healing, and making sure that when we’re providing service, it’s from a holistic perspective,” she said.

Lidstone-Jones also told Global News that the new site not only represents the importance of Indigenous health, but the value in partnerships.

“We know we have to blend both modes of care, and so making sure that door is always open and making sure that that dialogue is there for us to be able to continue to have that space in that conversation is very important,” she said.

Dokis added that SOAHAC is working to “build trust with clients so they feel safe when accessing services.”

“We know that Indigenous peoples face significant barriers to accessing health care and we are proud to provide care that is culturally aware and understands the impact of past experiences with systemic racism on people’s willingness to engage with health care providers,” he said.

Deputy mayor Shawn Lewis said that the site represents a new beginning and “the first page of a new chapter.”

“As we think about the more than 35,000 people that SOHAC serves in this region… what really underscores the importance of this site for me is that it does not just focus on the physical healing, but also the emotional well-being and the spiritual healing that people need to be complete,” he said.

“That is something that I think we need to all continue to keep in our hearts and in our heads and learn from moving forward.”

More information on SOAHAC can be found on their website.