TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention: Workshop 3

From Intention to Co-creation: Centering Black and Indigenous Communities in Public Health Practice 

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Welcome Message

Welcome to Workshop 3 of the TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention being held in London, Ontario on May 28, 2026. We are delighted to have you join us for a full day of learning. To kick things off, we invite you to watch a special welcome message from Michael Sherar, Public Health Ontario President and Chief Executive Officer.

You will also find everything you need to prepare for the convention, including session overview, classroom location, workshop materials, helpful maps and parking information below.

Workshop Description & Details

Explore practices for embedding and implementing decolonial approaches within public health organizations. This workshop will emphasize community-centered, decolonial strategies and co-creation approaches. Participants will have an opportunity to practice critical reflexivity and to engage in assembling pragmatic strategies to decolonize their practice.

At the end of this workshop, attendees will be able to:

  • Articulate key principles of decolonial and community-centered public health practice.

  • Identify practices and approaches that support co‑creation within public health.

  • Examine how co-creation with Black and Indigenous communities can inform and shape core public health functions.

  • Apply critical reflexivity to navigate complexity within individual professional roles, decision-making, and organizational contexts.

Workshop Details

Date: May 28, 2026

Location: 1001 Fanshawe College Boulevard, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6; Building B

Classroom: Building B, Classroom B1073

Registration Check-In: 8:15 a.m. in the James A. Colvin Atrium, Building B, B1046

Workshop Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Full Workshop Details: We are pleased to provide you with the following details ahead of the convention date to help better prepare you for the day.

Workshop Facilitators

DR. ONYE NNOROM, MDCM, CCFP, MPH, FRCPC

Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health, Province of Ontario

  • Dr. Onye Nnorom, MDCM, CCFP, MPH, FRCPC, is a distinguished physician, advocate, public speaker and leader in the field of public health and equity. She is a family doctor and public health and preventive medicine specialist. She is Associate Chief Medical Officer of Health for the Province of Ontario; the Chief and Medical Director of Health Equity and Population Health at Lakeridge Health; and the Black Health Faculty Lead in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. She is also a medical consultant at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Dr. Nnorom has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities and improving health outcomes for marginalized communities, with a particular focus on Black populations. Dr. Nnorom is the co-founder of the Black Health Education Collaborative, which was established to provide online educational resources on anti-Black racism and Black health for health professional students, clinicians and public health practitioners.

    Recently, she launched a social media outreach initiative called Healthcaring Differently to encourage diverse youth to explore careers in medicine. Dr. Nnorom’s expertise lies at the intersection of anti-racism, community health and healthcare transformation.

NICOLE VISSCHEDYK

Director of Capacity Building and Indigenous Engagement at Public Health Ontario

  • Nicole Visschedyk is the Director of Capacity Building and Indigenous Engagement at Public Health Ontario.

    Nicole has more than 15 years of experience in public service, holding progressive positions in a number of Ontario ministries, including her most recent position as a Senior Manager, of the Indigenous Equity Branch, Treasury Board Secretariat.  Prior to entering the Ontario Public Service, she worked as a journalist writting for media outlets such as The Hamilton Spectator and The National Post.

    Nicole is Métis and was fortunate enough to grow up with many cultural traditions of the Métis people. Her Métis community is near Penetanguishene, Ontario.

    Nicole holds a BSc. from the University of Guelph that included several years of work in a biochemistry laboratory. She completed her Master’s degree in Journalism.

    In her spare time, Nicole has volunteered as board member on several boards, including Chair of the Ontario Cycling Association.

SUME NDUMBE-EYOH

Executive Director and Assistant Professor, Black Health Education Collaborative and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto

  • Sume Ndumbe-Eyoh is the Executive Director of the Black Health Education Collaborative and an Assistant Professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. A catalytic leader, she mobilizes knowledge and networks to advance policy and practice on addressing anti-Black racism and the structural and social determinants of health and equity. She spent a decade with the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health where she provided leadership to public health practice on health equity and the social determinants of health in partnership with institutions across Canada. A sought-after speaker, writer and leader, she has advised numerous community and governmental organizations. Hailing from Cameroon, she is committed to decolonial futures. 

PRABHJOT SANGHA, BPH, MSc

Senior Advisor, Policy and Strategic Initiatives, Indigenous Primary Health Care Council

  • Prabhjot Sangha is a health policy and strategy professional working at the intersection of public health, equity, and community-centered systems transformation. She currently serves as Senior Advisor, Policy and Strategic Initiatives at the Indigenous Primary Health Care Council (IPHCC), where she supports provincial initiatives related to primary care transformation, health equity, and Indigenous health system strengthening across Ontario. Prabhjot holds a Bachelor of Public Health from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Science in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Her experience spans Indigenous health, government and stakeholder engagement, and international development, including work with UNICEF Zimbabwe and Engineers Without Borders Canada. She brings a collaborative and globally informed perspective to advancing equitable public health practice.

LEONOR TAVARES, MSc

Manager, Indigenous and Intergovernmental Unit, Accountability and Liaison Branch Office of Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health, Ministry of Health

  • Leonor Tavares, MSc., is currently a Manager with the Indigenous and Intergovernmental Unit with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health at the Ministry of Health. She holds a Master’s degree from the School of Public Health in Alberta (formally known as the Centre for Health Promotion Studies). Leonor has worked to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous and intergovernmental partners to collaborate in the areas of policy and program development/implementation, research and evaluation to support the delivery of public health services with/by Indigenous communities and organizations in Ontario.

OLIVIA SARDINE

Practicum Student, Indigenous Engagement and Strategy Team, Public Health Ontario

  • Olivia Sardine is a practicum student on the Indigenous Engagement and Strategy Team at Public Health Ontario, working alongside Nicole Visschedyk.

    She is currently completing a Master of Public Health graduate degree at Brock University and is a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a minor in Indigenous Studies.

    Olivia is Anishinaabe from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN) and has grown up as an active member of her community. She previously worked with MCFN’s Department of Consultation and Accommodation as a Field Liaison Representative, where she oversaw archeological sites to ensure Indigenous rights were being respected.

    In addition to her professional experience, Olivia’s main volunteer role is with MCFN’s Pet Wellness, where she coordinates and works alongside veterinarians to provide subsidized veterinary care to MCFN members.

MODERATOR

SAMIYA ABDI, MPH, G.D. Social Innovation

Senior Program Specialist at Public Health Ontario

  • Samiya Abdi, MPH, G.D. Social Innovation, is the Senior Program Specialist leading the Health Equity portfolio at Public Health Ontario. Over the past 18 years, Samiya has been working towards making the public health system more equitable by challenging intersecting forms of oppression and understanding marginalization in knowledge production, research and practice. Prior to returning to her home position with PHO, Samiya served as the Executive Director of the Black Health Education Collaborative (BHEC), a first of its kind Black-Led organization that transforms medical and public health academic and professional education. Samiya also possesses extensive experience in community engagement work, has co-founded international movements such as the Somali Gender Equity Movement and Famine Resisters alongside local initiatives such as Aspire2Lead and the Toronto Muslim Youth Political fellowship.

Workshop Agenda

  • James A. Colvin Atrium

    Building B - 1st Floor - B1046

  • LOCATION: Classroom B1073

    Reflect on and understand the landscape of Black and Indigenous health in Ontario and explore how decolonial practice connects with public health competencies and standards.

  • Refreshments will be located in the James A. Colvin Atrium.

    Use this time to recharge and connect with colleagues!

  • This panel explores how public health practitioners can build authentic, accountable partnerships with Black and Indigenous communities by centering trust, cultural safety, and shared decision-making. Panelists will share practical strategies and real-world lessons for moving beyond consultation toward co-creation. Panelists will include leaders from the Black and Indigenous communities alongside local public health unit leadership.

    Speakers:

    • Dr. Alex Summers, Medical Officer of Health for the Middlesex-London Health Unit

    • Pastor Sandie Thomas, Pastor & Co-Chair of MLHU-ABRP Advisory Committee, W.E.A.N Community Center & MLHU-ABRP Advisory Committee

    • Ida Cornelius, Health Administrator, Oneida Health Centre

  • A light lunch will be served in the James. A. Colvin Atrium

    B Building - 1st Floor - B1046

  • In small groups, participants will reflect on challenges they face in their roles, particularly navigating restrictions and barriers, working within system constraints, and connecting their experiences to core public health functions.

  • Refreshments will be located in the James A. Colvin Atrium.

    Use this time to recharge and connect with colleagues!

  • To wrap up the workshop, participants will critically reflect on their learnings from the day and their commitments to their decolonial public health practice.

  • A summary of the session will be provided.

Workshop Resources

  • Click here to download the resource.

  • Click here to download the resource.

  • Click here to download the resource.

  • Click here to download the resource.

  • Click here to download the resource.

Conference Map, Classroom Location & Parking Information

We’re excited to welcome you to the TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario!

To help you plan your arrival, you can download a campus map by clicking here. Please note that Fanshawe College Boulevard is currently closed due to construction, so we recommend entering campus via Cheapside Street. Parking is available in Lot 5 (General Parking), where a parking attendant will be on-site at the north entrance from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. When you arrive, simply let them know you are attending the TOPHC Convention, and have a paper or electronic copy of your ticket handy just in case.

The convention will take place in Building B. Once you arrive on campus, please make your way to the James A. Colvin Atrium, where registration begins at 8:15 a.m. You’ll be able to sign in and pick up your name badge before heading to your classroom. Our workshop will begin promptly at 9:00 a.m.

On the campus map, you’ll find the locations of the atrium, washrooms, and your workshop classroom clearly marked. TOPHC staff will be on-site throughout the morning to assist with registration and answer any questions you may have.

We look forward to welcoming you in person and are excited to see you on May 28th in London, Ontario!

 

Fanshawe College: 1001 Fanshawe College Boulevard, London, Ontario

TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention will be held in BUILDING B.

Frequently Asked Questions

Still have questions? Take a look at the full conference FAQ or reach out anytime. Here are some common workshop question and answers.

  • You may check-in at the TOPHC Registration desk, located in the James A. Colvin Atrium, inside Building B of the Fanshawe College campus.

  • TOPHC 2026 Regional Convention - Workshop 1 will take place in Building B, lecture room B1073.

  • Yes, complimentary Wi-Fi is available

  • A light lunch will be available for all registered workshop guests. Lunch will be held from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. in the James A. Colvin Atrium.

  • TOPHC 2026 registrants are asked to park in Lot 5 of the Fanshawe College Campus. Please advise the parking attendant that you are attending the TOPHC Convention.

  • Electronic copies of this workshop’s materials are available on this page. Please be mindful of the environment when printing materials.