Raised in Gimli, Manitoba and a proud member of the Pimicikamak First Nation in Cross Lake, MB, Dr. Turner is regarded as a trailblazer in the medical cannabis community, specializing in cannabinoid therapies for addiction, sleep and mood disorders, and chronic pain. With over 20,000 patient interactions and a growing patient database, she is a leading clinical participant in McMaster University’s cannabinoid Consumption & Study (DATACANN), and spearheaded the inaugural post-secondary Cannabis 101 curriculum development at Red River College’s School of Indigenous Education. Committed to serving rural and underserved populations, and a harm and pharma reductionist, Dr. Turner provides a differentiated science and heart-based approach to patient care. She presently serves as an advisor for mySafe Project, a not for profit committed to providing people with a safer, regulated supply of opioids to prevent drug overdoses and is a strong proponent for the coverage of patients’ medical cannabis costs in Canada. Dr. Turner is an Associate Professor at both the Northern Ontario School of Medicine and the University of Manitoba School of Medicine and is a graduate of the Michael G. Degroote School of Medicine at McMaster University.

Educated in South Africa, Dr. Matter has practiced medicine in Manitoba since 1993, serving the communities of Lynn Lake, Pukatwagan, Brochet, Lac Brochet, Tadoule Lake, Gimli, and Selkirk. She possesses expertise in comprehensive patient-based Family Medicine as well as Emergency and Urgent Care, having held the roles of Chief of Medical Staff in Lynn Lake, Selkirk and Gimli, and Emergency Medical Services Medical Director for the Health Authority in Manitoba’s Interlake/Eastern region for 10 years. Presently teaching Medical Students, Family and Emergency Medicine residents, Physician Assistants and International Medical Graduates at the University of Manitoba, Dr. Matter also has an interest in Sports Medicine. Her community contributions have included providing volunteer medical coverage for the Western Canada Summer Games, the World Women’s Hockey Championships, the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and the recent Canada Summer Games. She is passionate about animal welfare and has been President of the Gimli Humane Society for many years. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Witwatersrand, South Africa, and is a graduate of the South Africa’s University of Cape Town, Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Sports Science, Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Programs.

An internationally trained physician, Dr. Unarain hails from Guyana where she ran her own general family medicine practice as well as served patients in hospital and emergency room settings. With a developed expertise in rural and remote health care provisioning as well as comprehensive diabetes care, Dr. Unarain has been recognized with a number of honours including the Oudit Itwaru Memorial Award presented to the Best Graduating Science student in recognition of outstanding academic achievement. Committed to education, continuous growth and professional improvement to provide the best possible care to individuals, Dr. Unarain has acquired Canadian health care system skills through observership, working in various clinical settings and volunteering. In addition to teaching medical students in Guyana, in Canada she has held the roles of Member, Research & Ethics Board of the Scarborough Rouge Hospital and Clinical Research Assistant at Toronto’s University Health Network. Possessing English, Spanish and Hindi language skills, she has published and presented internationally on various medical matters. Dr. Unarain is a graduate of the University of Guyana School of Medicine and has recently successfully completed her Family Medicine Residency in the Manitoba Licensure Program for International Medical Graduates (MLPIMG) Program from the University of Manitoba.