Our Mission: To create a network among organizations who support CAF veterans, RCMP, Emergency Responders and their families in meeting the array of challenges, such as: transition, mental health, and housing instability, by promoting collaboration that improves the delivery of services.
Guest Speakers
Gisèle Fontaine MStJ MSC CD RN CHE
Colonel (Retired) Gisèle Fontaine served nearly 37 years in the Canadian Armed Forces, beginning in the Reserves as a CELE Officer before transitioning to the Regular Force as a Nursing Officer. Over the course of her career, she evolved into a Health Services Operations Officer (HSO), shifting her focus from clinical nursing to operational planning and executive management of health services.
Her deployments include short operational taskings to Mogadishu, Somalia, and Kandahar, Afghanistan, as well as a year-long deployment to Kabul as a Colonel, where she contributed to rebuilding the Afghan Army and Police medical and dental education system. For this work, she was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross.
Following her retirement in 2018, she supported the development of the CAF culture change strategy on sexual misconduct and the CAF victim support strategy as a senior consultant. The COVID-19 pandemic brought an unexpected return to clinical nursing for three years, allowing her to contribute directly to the National Capital Region response.
A lifelong advocate for service and wellbeing, she currently serves as President of the Military Nurses Association of Canada – Ottawa Unit and, since 2023, as National Women’s Outreach Coordinator with Respect Canada. Her husband, also a Veteran with 37 years of service, and their four children are all settled in the Ottawa region
Kala Sanmartin and Heather Wilkinson
Kala Sanmartin and Heather Wilkinson are the managing partners of Vital Holistic Care, a holistic nursing practice under the parent organization of SafeHouse Science, an interdisciplinary health organization dedicated to bridging conventional and integrative approaches to veterans and their families through evidence-informed, person-centered care.
Kala, a Registered Nurse and Certified Holistic Cannabis Nurse, is the founder of Vital Holistic Care, formerly The Cannabis Nurses + Co, and wrote the first accredited Holistic Cannabis Nursing Program in collaboration with the Canadian Institute of Integrative Nursing Development and Education (CIINDE). She leads the nursing team and provides clinical education and nursing case management expertise that integrates endocannabinoid system care in a supportive interdisciplinary pathway for all the clients we serve.
Heather, a Recreation Therapist, Kinesiologist and Certified Yoga Teacher specializes in rehabilitation, chronic health management, and holistic wellness programming for a variety of population groups. She has taken on an operational role within Vital Holistic Care, overseeing program development, administrative tasks, community outreach and educational initiatives.
Together and under the guidance of SafeHouse Science, Kala and Heather are on a mission to empower individuals and communities through evidence-informed education and the integration of medical and allied health services that serve clients through a holistic lens. Their shared vision focuses on increasing access to supportive health services for veterans and their families in an easy and seamless way—recognizing that many face isolation, limited resources, and barriers related to mental and physical health. Through judgment-free, compassionate care, they strive to inspire hope, rebuild trust in a redefined healthcare model, and improve overall quality of life for those they serve.
