New family physician now practising in Spirit River

SPIRIT RIVER – Local residents have increased access to primary care with the arrival of a new family physician now practising in the community.

Dr. Danae Wolfaardt is a family medicine physician working out of the Central Peace Health Complex in Spirit River.

“It’s a pleasure to welcome Dr. Wolfaardt to the community,” says Dr. Brian Muir, Zone Medical Director for Alberta Health Services (AHS). “Albertans, wherever they live, should have access to a family doctor so they can remain healthy and enjoy a good quality of life. The recruitment of a new family physician for Spirit River will maintain our residents’ access to local healthcare and help support our current physicians.”

Dr. Wolfaardt becomes the third family physician practising in town, replacing Dr. Tom Phillips, who retired in December. She comes to Spirit River from Johannesburg, South Africa, having just completed her assessment in High Level.

Having completed her medical training at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, Dr. Wolfaardt completed her internship in Pretoria, before spending a community service year working in a 24-hour clinic in a Johannesburg township. She was working in private practice in Johannesburg prior to coming to Canada.

Dr. Wolfaardt has a very personal connection to Spirit River, as her mother, Debbie Wolfaardt (nee Sandul), grew up here and her grandparents lived here for their whole lives.

“Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away in 2017 but, on my last visit with her in 2016, she told me she thought I’d end up coming to Spirit River to work,” Dr. Wolfaardt says. “I kind of laughed it off at the time but, when I seriously started considering making the move to Canada, one of the first jobs I saw was in Spirit River and it just seemed like it was meant to be. My grandfather is now staying in the Pleasantview Lodge and it’s wonderful to be so close to him.”

Along with her partner Kyle, and their cat Leo, Dr. Wolfaardt is looking forward to getting to know her new community.

“I’m really looking forward to a slower pace of life,” she says. “We really can’t wait to experience and learn some really Canadian things. Kyle is dying to go to his first hockey game, and learning to ski, skate and maybe even curl.”

As a general practitioner, Dr. Wolfaardt says she really enjoys pediatrics, adolescent medicine and orthopedics.

“I love general practice overall as I enjoy doing a little bit of everything,” she says.

AHS continues to recruit for family physicians across northern Alberta to meet community needs.

AHS has physician resource planners who are dedicated to identifying and pursuing international and domestic physician recruitment opportunities. They work closely with various community partners and organizations, such as the Central Peace Attraction and Retention Committee (CPARC), local Health Advisory Councils, and the Rural Health Professions Action Plan.

“On behalf of all citizens of the Central Peace, we welcome Dr. Danae Wolfaardt and her partner Kyle to our communities,” says Spirit River Mayor Allan Georget. “My wife and I moved to the area 10 years ago and we found Spirit River to be the most friendly community we have ever lived in.

I am sure Danae and Kyle will soon discover this for themselves. The Central Peace area has been blessed to have three long-term doctors and now we are blessed again to have found Danae.”

“The Central Peace Attraction and Retention Committee is pleased to welcome Dr. Danae Wolfaardt and Kyle to the communities of the Peace Country,” adds Lynne Phillips, chair of the CPARC. “While the Peace Country is not new to Danae because of family roots in the area, we very much look forward to sharing all our communities have to offer and hope she and Kyle find happiness and fulfillment in their new home.”

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.