Announcements
Update from the Circle of Lived Experience Committee
March 17, 2026
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The (Re)Establishment of the Circle of Lived Experience
The NCHC is pleased to announce the (re)establishment of the Circle of Lived Experience (CoLE). This refugee-led advisory group of former NCHC patients marks the beginning of a sustained structure that will help guide the NCHC’s work now and into the future, ultimately supporting the long-term sustainability of the NCHC as a community-owned health centre.
The CoLE convened for the first time on March 7th, 2026, and will meet several times each year to share insights and reflections on their healthcare experiences. Moving beyond tokenistic consultation, insights from these conversations will be translated into actionable improvements while ensuring that refugee perspectives meaningfully inform decision-making and shape the continued evolution of NCHC services. By bringing together the voices of those who have navigated services at the NCHC, the CoLE helps ensure that service improvements remain grounded in the real experiences, needs, and priorities of the refugee community the NCHC serves.
To support this work, the NCHC has recently applied for a funding opportunity with ECF to help establish the CoLE during its initial phase.
The CoLE Committee is composed by:
Facilitators: Razia Saramad (Board Director), Lauren Guibat (Master of Public Health Student - Research and Evaluation Committee), Dr. Cori Bender (Member - Research and Evaluation Committee).
Supporters: Dr. Rebecca Gokiert (C-Chair Research and Evaluation Committee), Dr. Corinne Rogers (NCHC Board Chair), Halima Jama (Board Director), Astrid Velasquez (Executive Director).
Update from the Chair - Charitable Status
December 04, 2024
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It is with great pleasure that we announce that our application for Charitable Status has been approved!
The Charitable Status was one of our 2024-2025 goals presented at the last AGM.
It was a really hard and long journey since the CRA has made the process very complex to ensure that only genuine organizations in good standing get approved.
The NCHC got really positive feedback from the CRA: strong bylaws, articles of association, documents and registrations up to date, and positive outcomes after several interviews.
The NCHC Board would like to thank all those involved in this lengthy process.
In the next couple of days, we will be working on more/updated information to distribute broadly to potential donors, more to come, stay tuned...
Please help us spread the word and to donate visit the NCHC website and scroll down on the main page.
NCHC Board Chair
Update From the Chair - Strategic Planning
February 27, 2024
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The Board of the NCHC is excited to embark on the long-awaited work of strategic planning. We have 16 members of our community who have gifted the NCHC with the investment of their time.
We have the pleasure of David Feldman from the ECVO, leading us on this adventure. He has worked with the Board in the past and has guided our efforts as we work on Board governance.
The Board looks forward to anchoring the principles of the NCHC within our strategic planning. It will take time to complete this work well, but once completed our hope is that it will provide a sustainable vision for the work of the NCHC.
Our first meeting is on March 16th, 2024 where we will take time to get to know each other, learn about the principles of the NCHC and share a meal together. The Board will provide updates over the next year regarding this work.
Check-in from the Medical Director
January 10, 2024
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As the Medical Director at the New Canadians Health Centre (NCHC), I am delighted to provide an update on the clinical work of our team. Our core clinical team is composed of group of family physicians, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, medical office assistants and health navigators. We are also fortunate to have counseling and physiotherapy services available to our patients in addition to support from visiting specialists (pediatrics, internal medicine, infectious diseases, and psychiatry), on rotating basis.
Fall has been a very busy time for us as we have grown our clinical team and have onboarded many new team members. This has allowed us to increase our clinical capacity to see more patients.
We have also been fortunate to continue connecting with our partners in the community, which has improved our collective ability to care for patients accessing immunization services, laboratory services as well as infectious disease services like the Tuberculosis Program.
Finally, we have been delighted to have several health professional students rotate through the NCHC over the past few months where they have had the opportunity to learn about the field of refugee health, learn about community services that support refugees and get to meet the tremendous patients that we work with.
NCHC Medical Director
Special Resolution - the NCHC Bylaws
December 22, 2023
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The Special Resolution voting through secret ballot for the NCHC By-Laws officially closed on December 22nd, 2023 at 1700 hrs and the motion was approved.
Check-in from the Chair
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Welcome to this new space, where you will be updated on relevant Board work and current Board initiatives. Furthermore, the Executive Director and Medical Director will from time to time also provide updates.
Our first update concerns the strategic planning committee. The committee has been established and is composed of 16 members. Our first meeting shall be in the new year. Our goal is to work on a 1, 5 and 10-year plan centred on the NCHC principles.
Secondly, the board has approved the new bylaws. Members can look forward to up-and-coming information on a special resolution, where members can vote on the approval of new bylaws. Bylaws are an important component of our charitable status application, as they can be rejected during this process if they are deemed insufficient.
Finally, early next year we will begin learning about fundraising through the Edmonton Community Foundation. This training requires participation from various members of the NCHC community. Please look forward to further communication regarding this initiative.
As a member of NCHC, if you wish to request access to our public documents; please use the form on the Contact page.
For the NCHC members: Last week an email was sent out to our members concerning a special resolution for electronic voting regarding some amendments to our by-laws. Please check your email, inbox, junk, and spam emails. The electronic voting will close on Friday, December 22nd, 2023 at 1700 hrs.
Chair of the NCHC Board
November 28, 2023
Update from Centering Refugee Voices: Developing the Circle of Lived Experience project - funded by Edmonton Community Foundation
May 29, 2026
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Centering Refugee Voices: Developing the Circle of Lived Experience project funded by ECF
Following our earlier announcement on the (Re)Establishment of the Circle of Lived Experience, we are pleased to share an exciting update.
NCHC’s initiative, Centering Refugee Voices: Developing the Circle of Lived Experience, is now proudly supported by the Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF).
This community‑driven project ensures that refugees play a meaningful and sustained role in shaping the systems that impact their lives. With generous funding from ECF, we are building a strong and sustainable structure that elevates newcomer leadership and embeds lived experience into decision‑making across our organization.
The Circle of Lived Experience strengthens equity by bringing refugee perspectives directly into planning, evaluation, and advocacy. This work transforms lived experience into actionable insight—improving programs, informing policy, and contributing to a more just and culturally safe health system.
We are deeply grateful for ECF’s commitment to uplifting newcomer voices and supporting community‑led change.
NCHC Executive Director