
WHO WE ARE

The Nursing School at UBC, together with the BC Centre for Palliative Care, have joined hands with Quadra Circle to support a meaningful grant that aligns closely with our existing initiatives, NavCARE and Way To Go.
We are proud to share that Quadra Island is one of four rural communities in British Columbia to receive this grant.
The Compassionate Community Program is an 18-month journey focused on understanding our community’s insights and feelings about supporting individuals with serious illnesses, the challenges of caregiving, end-of-life situations, and navigating grief.
This important project will be led by the Co-Direction Team of Jude McCormick and Kathleen Monahan, who are dedicated to fostering a supportive environment for all.



It is essential to find compassionate and supportive ways to help individuals who are dealing
with life-limiting illnesses, mobility challenges, and feelings of isolation, as well as those who are navigating the demands of caring for loved ones at home. This need is especially urgent in rural areas where access to healthcare can be limited. By offering understanding and assistance,
we can make a meaningful difference in their lives.
​
​
There are three promising initiatives aimed at addressing
the needs of this vulnerable population:



Nav-CARE
Compassionate Communities
Way To Go
Nav-CARE, developed by Dr. Barb Pesut and Dr. Wendy Duggleby, provides compassionate support through trained volunteers who assist individuals and families for months or years, connecting them to valuable community resources. Although it has positively impacted over 50 Canadian communities, negative perceptions about serious illness and palliative care can limit its reach, making it essential to address these misunderstandings to ensure broader access to this important support.
The compassionate community model emphasizes a public health approach to life limiting illness, where the entire community, not just health professionals, takes responsibility for supporting individuals and families facing challenges from illness, mobility challenges, caregiving, dying, and grief. By actively engaging the public and providing education, we hope to dispel negative perceptions and create a more supportive environment for everyone.
Way To Go has been a compassionate pillar in the Quadra community, dedicated to fostering meaningful discussions surrounding the topic of death and its place in the circle of life. For several years, they have held monthly meetings, offering a safe space for individuals to come together and explore essential themes, such as preparing for the possibility of death at any age. They gently guide participants in organizing their affairs, keeping vital information up to date, and understanding the importance of these preparations. Their commitment extends to providing support and education on after-death procedures, including how to manage home funeral arrangements and navigate the process of dying at home. With thoughtful resources, including a green duotang filled with relevant topics, they empower individuals to take charge of their end-of-life choices. Way To Go is here to support those who choose home deaths and funerals, offering personalized assistance based on each person’s unique needs. Their compassionate services encompass support for the dying individual and their loved ones, care of the body, transport, graveside assistance, and grief support. The organization has also witnessed a growing interest in natural burial sites, with around eight or nine already established. Some community members seek guidance on how to manage these processes themselves, while others, without family support, have benefited from Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). In these heart-wrenching situations, Way To Go stands by them, providing essential help with paperwork, body care, transport, and funeral arrangements, ensuring that no one has to face these challenging moments alone.
This project seeks to combine these three approaches to create a model called:
-
Compassionate Communities Volunteer Navigation (CCVN)
This model is being implemented in four rural societies in British Columbia with existing
Nav-CARE programs, Quadra Island being chosen as one of the four. By building on the
strengths of both initiatives, we hope to foster community understanding of life-limiting
illnesses, palliative care and more, ensuring that no one faces their journey alone.

OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE
We are blessed to be joined by an outstanding group of Quadra Island community members who each bring their own unique ideas and are dedicated to improving the way we care for our neighbours.
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
Committee Member
AT LARGE
JUDE McCORMICK
Jude is a retired RN living off-grid near Granite Bay with her bestie Allen and their two Quadra born dogs, Katoo and Tooka. She frequently leaves her piece of paradise to make use of her many years of experience in home hospice and palliative care, geriatric, mental health, and addictions nursing by volunteering in a few of Quadra Circle's programs and as a member of Way To Go. A PhD in Education in Confluent Education emphasized learning as an individual experience and techniques to meet the learner where they are - very helpful in supporting people living with serious health conditions and their care partners.

KATHLEEN MONAHAN
Kathleen, a former healthcare administrator and retired music business executive, has been working with Nav-CARE for the past two years, focusing on improving the quality of life for community members in partnership with Compassionate Community. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Quadra Island Seniors Housing and is a caregiver for her mother, who lives on Quadra Island as well. Kathleen is happy to have made Quadra her forever home, and you can often find her around the island with her beloved Irish Setter, Seamus!


MAUREEN McDOWELL
Maureen admires Islander's can-do attitude: ‘If we need something, we gotta create it ourselves.’ A retired social worker, she moved to Quadra in 2002 with her husband, Frank Boas, an avid photographer, artist and gardener. Frank died peacefully at home in 2024 after 7 years of living with dementia and a heart condition. He enjoyed his friends and activities at Quadra Circle’s Seniors Activity Centre right
until the last month of his life. Caring for Frank
and volunteering with Quadra Circle’s Board have given Maureen the incentive to help create a range of support services for Quadra seniors. She loves spending quiet time on Quadra’s scenic beaches and at Rebecca Spit.