After moving to Canada in 1960, James graduated from the Faculty of Science in 1967 pursuing medicine with residency in paediatrics. She was the first woman of colour to be admitted to the UM’s Faculty of Medicine, where she was the innovator in asthma and allergies, developing Manitoba’s first ever Family Asthma Program.  

Her list of personal and career accomplishments is long, and she has been recognized with many accolades including a Manitoba Women Trailblazer Award, Order of Manitoba, and the Queen Elizabeth  50th  Jubilee Medal, among others.   

We asked Dr. James what Black History Month means to her.  

In our conversation, she noted that the month celebrates historical and ongoing challenges, triumphs, barriers, and experiences of Black people, including showcasing the importance of diversity for future generations. 

“It allows us to showcase who we are and what we’ve done,” she said. “Many people have realized that Black people can do many things for years. They have become top professionals, professional sports athletes, and accomplished things in various areas.” 

No matter where Dr. James was, she exercised her expertise and experience. Whether it was in hospitals, at board meetings, or as the CEO of an organizations, James leveraged this challenge of being seen as ‘different’ to be heard at the table.     

“Being a Black woman isn’t easy, and you get looked down on a lot,” she said. “However, when I was in the hospitals, I made sure to let everyone know I was the one in charge; people had to follow my lead and listen to me.”     

James found her community in her work, which provided her an intrinsic reward. She is former president of multiple organizations, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, Winnipeg Clinic, Manitoba Museum and Manitoba Museum Foundation, and the Congress of Black Women of Manitoba. She also served with other organization over the years, including the Citizenship Council of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, the United Way Board of Directors and the “Improving a neighbourhood for a neighbour,” program with the Winnipeg Foundation. She established the June Marion James bursary at The Winnipeg Foundation, an annual bursary that goes to an international student at St John’s College at the University of Manitoba.      

“The most rewarding thing was working in communities,” she said. “I took much of what I learned regarding life lessons from my family and took them throughout my career.”    

Dr. June James continues to be involved in her community and was recently recognized for her accomplishments on featured on the Government of Canada Black History Month website about her work.  

Read more about Dr. June Marion James on the Doctor’s Manitoba website. 

“There are no other professors who teach in the way that she can,” said Madison Waites, a second-year student in the College of Pharmacy. “I’ve never met someone willing to go above and beyond for students in the way that she does. [She] is genuine and that is the biggest compliment.”

Watson was one of three instructors who received Outstanding Teacher of the Year awards at the October 17, 2023, College of Pharmacy academic awards ceremony. Sheila Ng received the First Year Outstanding Teaching Award, while Kristi Watson and Heather MacPhee received the Second- and Third-Year Outstanding Teaching Awards respectively. Nominations for Outstanding Teacher Awards come from the student body, selecting the faculty members they feel have made exceptional contributions in their efforts to coach and mentor their students.

“As a new instructor in the College of Pharmacy, I was stunned to have won this award,” said Watson, who brings 19 years of practice to the position. “I feel deeply humbled when hearing some of the words students shared. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to be involved in their education and I look forward to my teaching career ahead.”

For Sheila Ng, the best part about being an instructor at the College of Pharmacy is watching the transformation from an uncertain novice into a confident professional.

“Supporting students and watching them grow and develop new skills and confidence throughout this course and through their time in the program is truly satisfying,” said Ng. “Another thing I love about being an instructor is the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the future of our profession. I get to share my knowledge and passion for pharmacy with the next generation of pharmacists.”

“We’re very proud of the quality of instruction at the College of Pharmacy,” said Dr. Lavern Vercaigne, associate dean (academics). “It’s gratifying to know that the students also recognize the dedication and commitment the teaching faculty brings to the program.”

Fourth year student Wyatt Baloun offered praise for MacPhee, who encourages students to make teamwork a habit so that they don’t develop a “siloed” approach when they enter the workplace. “[She] truly cares about her students and ensures they are given every opportunity to succeed,” said Baloun. “It ensures that students learn to truly deal with the issues we face in the health-care field.”

“Receiving this award is an incredibly humbling and gratifying experience,” said Ng. “It’s a validation of the time and work I’ve put into my role as an instructor, and it motivates me to continue striving for excellence in my teaching. Having my effort recognized by my students is a very special moment for me.”

The drag show, which features local Indigenous drag troupe the Bannock Babes, is one of two free public events associated with “Caring Queerly: Queer health symposium” that takes place at Rady Faculty of Health Sciences on October 19 and 20. The other is a public lecture by Dr. Jake Pyne from York University, who will speak on the important topic of 2SLGBTQIA+ community healthcare. The conference also includes a student research roundtable and queer art show, along with a community consultation on research priorities. 

Oct. 19

Public lecture 10 to 11 A.M.

Dr. Jake Pyne (York University)

071 Apotex Centre, 750 McDermot

Lunch-hour drag show, 12 noon

featuring local Indigenous drag troupe the Bannock Babes

Brodie Atrium

Including a drag show in an academic conference might seem unusual, but it is emblematic of the vision of organizer Deborah McPhail for the two-day event. 

The symposium aims to make space for, and create connections within, the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in healthcare. 

“I wanted to create an all-encompassing symposium on queer health, as broadly defined,” says McPhail, who is an associate professor in the department of community health sciences, Max Rady College of Medicine. It was important to help to create “a space within the university to celebrate queer art and culture, which of course is part of health and well-being,” she adds. 

Connecting the dots 

The idea of creating space for queer community in healthcare has been on her mind for some time now.  

As a prof, McPhail saw healthcare students who identified as queer — as well as 2SLGBTQIA+ colleagues, including researchers — scattered all across UM campuses. Students were expressing a desire to do research in this area, she says, without necessarily knowing where to turn or even realizing that they were part of a cohort, or that there were mentors for them.   

Connecting those students with each other and with mentors is critical, she says, along with connecting 2SLGBTQIA+ colleagues across all campuses, and connecting it all to the wider 2SLGBTQIA+ community of healthcare experts, activists and researchers.  

It’s necessary for university researchers who identify as queer to understand their research as connected to the wider community, she notes. 

“The questions that arise, they don’t come to us in a vacuum,” she says. “They typically begin in [the 2SLGBTQIA+] community, and a lot of times community activists and researchers have been doing this work for many, many years.”  

Caring queerly 

The “Caring queerly” title arose from a research and knowledge translation project that foregrounded questions of how to care for others and found strong connections between the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ healthcare providers providing care for queer people and the experiences of those receiving care as queer people.  

Partly the idea was to dislodge notions of health and healthcare from normative understandings of heterosexuality and heterosexism, which often frame queer people’s experience of healthcare, she explains.  

She also applies those questions of care to the wider university community, and the urgency of ensuring a safe space for all. “How do we care in a way for our students and for up-and-coming scholars that is not just about the usual providing money and housing, which of course are also important — but also providing a community, a caring community?” she asks. 

Safety, support, social justice 

With the symposium, McPhail envisions the start of a “network of people to actually really care for and nurture, be[ing] grounded in that [2SLGBTQIA+] community, and supporting research that’s laying the groundwork for more social justice.” 

Finding that safety and support in community — along with a cohort and mentors — is especially important now, with heightened tensions and recent anti-trans and anti-2SLGBTQIA+ events.  

“To me, that’s really important to communicate [support] to students but also to [UM] faculty and staff who identify as queer or are doing this research or are showing up to the university every day — and, for students, going to lectures and classes,“ she says. 

Having support for “Caring queerly” has been encouraging as well, she notes.  

That support “sends a really important and significant message of allyship and support that I know we really appreciate,” she says, underlining that all are welcome at the two public events. 

Caring queerly: Queer health symposium 

Oct. 19-20 

Public events

Public lecture, Oct. 19, 10 to 11 A.M.

Dr. Jake Pyne (York University)

071 Apotex Centre, 750 McDermot

Lunch-hour drag show, Oct. 19, 12 to 1 P.M.

Brodie Atrium, featuring local Indigenous drag troupe the Bannock Babes

Plan to attend one or both of two free public events: A lecture by guest speaker Dr. Jake Pyne from York University, and an exciting lunch-hour drag show in the Brodie Atrium, featuring local Indigenous drag troupe the Bannock Babes.  

Jake Pyne is Assistant Professor in the York University School of Social Work and his research draws on transgender studies, critical disability studies, critical autism studies, fat studies, and queer of colour critique. Prior to entering academia, Jake worked in Toronto’s trans community for 20 years in a range of research and advocacy roles on projects aiming to build access for trans communities to: shelter and emergency services; health care; family law justice; and support for gender independent kids and trans youth. These days Jake is at work on a book project about the intersection of autistic and trans life, entitled “Building a Person.”

Caring queerly Queer Health Symposium is sponsored by: 

• The Queer & Trans Health Sciences Graduate Student Group 
• The University of Manitoba – Institute for the Humanities 
• The University of Manitoba – Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 
• The University of Manitoba – Alan Klass Memorial Program in Health Equity 
• UM Queer 
• Research Manitoba