Lecturing in South Africa, 2006
Mother Teresa's Home for the Dying Destitue, Calcutta, India 2001.
Service Beyond Windsor
I’ve had the privilege of joining five medical relief efforts, working alongside local caregivers and fellow volunteers to support communities facing disaster and illness:
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India, 2001: Following the Gujarat earthquake.
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Tibet, 2004: With the Nomads Clinic.
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Sri Lanka, 2005: Following the Indian Ocean tsunami.
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South Africa, 2006: Working in HIV/AIDS clinics and teaching alongside two student interns.
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Haiti, 2010: Following the earthquake.
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In April 2001, I also spent a month volunteering at Mother Teresa’s Home for the Dying Destitute in Calcutta, helping care for people nearing the end of their lives.
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I’m grateful to the people who welcomed me into their communities and for what they taught me about care, resourcefulness, and service. These experiences deepened my appreciation for listening, respecting local knowledge, and offering compassionate care in difficult circumstances.
Whether responding to a disaster or sitting beside someone who was dying, I learned the importance of being present and recognizing each person’s dignity. Those lessons continue to guide my work and the commitment I bring to my own community here in Riverside.
Denis providing care after the 2010 Haiti earthquake.
Photo: Amy Osbourne.
Learning to govern
I joined the Ontario Association of Naturopathic Doctors’ Government Relations Committee in 1996 and later served on the Transitional Council that helped establish the College of Naturopaths of Ontario under the RHPA (Regulated Health Practitioners Act). For the past five years, I’ve served on the College’s Council, including the last three years on its Executive. My committee work has included governance and serving as Vice-Chair of the Discipline Committee. These roles have taught me the importance of careful decisions, accountability, and protecting the public.
I also served on the Board of the Sexual Assault Crisis Centre in Windsor and have volunteered with the Grandmother’s Lodge and the Wilderness Guides Council. I’ve also worked on equity, diversity, inclusion, and belonging with both the College of Naturopaths of Ontario and the Wilderness Guides Council. These experiences continue to teach me to listen to people whose lives and perspectives differ from my own.
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Serving on boards and committees has given me practical training in governance and a deep appreciation for the democratic process. I’ve learned that councils work best when they pursue a common goal, listen carefully, and practise respectful disagreement. Bringing together facts, evidence, and public input helps us make thoughtful decisions that serve citizens and protect the public. These are the principles I would bring to Windsor City Council.
Coming home to Riverside
I returned to Windsor in 2020 to be closer to my family. I didn’t know then that I would soon be caring for both of my parents, independently, and walking alongside them through their end-of-life journeys. After they each passed on, I chose to put down roots in Riverside again.
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No matter where I lived, I always kept up with what was happening in my hometown. Coming back gave me a renewed appreciation for this neighbourhood and the people who care for one another here. I’ve continued my health care work, helped facilitate a caregiver support circle, and listened to neighbours talk about what they value and what needs attention.
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The years I spent away gave me experience in care, teaching, and governance. Now I want to bring what I’ve learned home and put it to work for Ward 6.
Denis and Buck in Riverside, autumn 2021. Photo: Linda Sabatini.
Why I’m Running
Riverside helped make me who I am, and I’ve reached a point in my life where I want to give something back. I’ve wanted to serve in municipal politics for many years. My work in health care, teaching, and governance has taught me to listen, bring people together, and make careful decisions that affect others.
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I want to bring that experience to City Hall: to be accessible to residents, follow through on their concerns, and help Riverside remain a place where people can live well, age well, and belong. I would be honoured to serve Ward 6 as a thoughtful, dependable councillor.
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My love for Riverside is matched by a passion for thoughtful, accountable governance. I helped bring the College of Naturopaths of Ontario into being under the Regulated Health Professions Act in 2015 through its Transitional Council, and have served the last five years on its Council, including three on the Executive. My work in equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, governance, and discipline—including as Vice-Chair of the Discipline Committee—has deepened my commitment to public service. I want to bring that same dedication and compassion to listening to our neighbours and caring for Riverside’s future.
A Life in Integrative Health Care
I grew up in Riverside, then left Windsor at 18 to study and work in other communities, while returning to Windsor several times for extended periods of time. Over nearly 30 years as a naturopathic doctor, I’ve cared for patients and taught future health professionals in Canada and abroad. Training in mind–body medicine and positive psychology through Harvard Medical School’s continuing education programs in 1999 and 2000 became a cornerstone of my practice.
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When I returned to Windsor in 2007, I began working with patients living with cancer and those approaching their end of life. With support from a Green Shield Canada Foundation grant, I started a project at the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. That work grew into the Canadian Clinic for Integrative Medicine, which I founded and served as Chief Medical Officer. I also introduced high-dose intravenous vitamin C therapy to Windsor. I am currently one of the only NDs in Canada who has published in a Medline-indexed medical journal on the use of alternative therapies.
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My master’s degree in transpersonal psychology, with a concentration in ecopsychology, brought another dimension to my work. Through wilderness rites of passage and my involvement with the Wilderness Guides Council and the School of Lost Borders in California, I’ve helped people find space for reflection, healing, and a renewed relationship with the natural world.
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Through it all, I’ve learned to listen carefully, ask good questions, and see the person beyond the problem in front of me.
Denis providing care in Gujarat, India 2001.
Dennis Solet was a hero of mine, pictured here with my clinic's SJA Therapy Dog, Dharma.
(Photo used with permission from his estate)
Flying the Windsor Flag in Haiti during medical relief work in 2010 with team members Kim Janzen and Jackie Bordignon (used with permission)
With my mom at my Art Show in Bracebridge, ON, 2020