Our Midwives

We are a group of midwives who gained our education in a variety of ways. Our Practice was formed to provide clients with the full benefit of our diverse backgrounds. All Practice members have either completed the Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences Pre-Registration Programme, International Midwifery Pre-Registration Program, or the Midwifery Education Program. We are all Registered Midwives, governed by the College of Midwives of Ontario.  A brief description of each of our background follows:

Meet our Midwives

Kathy Penczak, RM

Kathy Penczak graduated nursing school in 1985 and began working at McMaster Hospital. After 2 years of working as a labour and delivery room nurse, she entered a pilot project, the E.R.N. (Extended Role Nurse) program, which later became the midwifery pilot program.

In 1992 while continuing to work at McMaster as a nurse/midwife, she attended the Michener Institute in Toronto and graduated in 1994, from the first Registered Midwifery Program in Ontario.

Following graduation, Kathy along with 6 other midwives opened the first midwifery practice in Hamilton, (Hamilton Midwifery Care). In 1997 the practice group became so large that they split into smaller practice groups. She decided it was time to make her move, and put in a proposal through the Ministry of Health to open a practice in Brantford.

In 1998 Community Midwives of Brantford was born, and the rest is history.​

Kelly Gascoigne, RM

Kelly was born and raised in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Her first degree was in Biology at Queen's University in Kingston with an exchange to the University of Edinburgh in Scotland where she studied Ecology.

Kelly then went into the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University. She was in the Graduating Class of 2002.

Kelly then joined the Community Midwives of Brantford in 2002 and has enjoyed working in Brantford since. ​

Heather Taylor, RM

Heather joined the Community Midwives of Brantford in 2005 after completing her midwifery training through Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario.

Originally from Northern B.C. and more recently from Western Quebec, Heather now calls Paris, Ontario home and sincerely enjoys working with the clients here in Brantford. ​

TANJA BOS, RM

Tanja was born and raised in The Netherlands, where she graduated from Florence Nightingale College in The Hague with an RN Diploma in 1998. She then emigrated to Canada and became a Registered Nurse in Ontario, working for 2 years at London Health Sciences Centre.

Tanja then moved to England in 2003 where she graduated with a Degree in Midwifery from the University of Luton in 2005. After working as a Midwife in England for 2 years she moved back to Ontario, and worked as an RN in Labour, Delivery and Maternity at Brantford General Hospital.

Tanja worked as an Obstetrical Nurse at Georgetown Hospital while undertaking the International Midwifery Pre-registration Program at Ryerson University, graduating in 2012. She was delighted to join the Community Midwives of Brantford, assisting women and their families during this very special stage in their lives the same year.​

Michelle Moore-West, RM

Michelle was born and raised in Peterborough. She graduated May 2014 from the Midwifery Education Program (MEP) at McMaster University.

Before entering Midwifery, she graduated with a Biomedical Biology Bachelor of Science degree from Laurentian University. It was there that she first encountered Midwifery and knew it was how she was going to fulfill her passion for maternal and fetal health.

Michelle is very excited about joining the Community Midwives of Brantford and feels honoured to share in your pregnancy and birth experiences.  ​

Pamela O'FArrell, RM

Pam was born and raised in Delhi, Ontario. She completed her first degree in Biology at Oswego State University in Oswego, New York. 
Pam spent two years in the Naturopathic Medicine program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine where she discovered a love for alternative therapies, as well as a growing interest in maternal, fetal and newborn health. Pam decided to focus her studies on this new interest and completed the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University.
Happy to return to her roots, Pam is looking forward to being a part of the birthing community here in Brantford and working along side the women and their families. ​

MARYELLEN BOYES, RM

Maryellen is from Toronto, and began her journey into midwifery while working at the Association of Ontario Midwives, supporting the "business side" of midwifery care.  Her love of maternal, fetal, and newborn health eventually led her to pursue midwifery education for herself, and she graduated from Ryerson University in 2016. 
Her husband's family has been in Brantford and surrounding areas for many generations, and she and her family were eager to re-join the community following the completion of her schooling. She is so delighted to be part of the Community of Midwives of Brantford.

Danielle Halashewski, RM

Danielle grew up in Brant County and began her journey towards becoming a midwife back in 2011 when she did a co-operative placement with Community Midwives of Brantford before applying to Midwifery school. It was here that she found her passion for midwifery and her love for the clinic.
Danielle attended Laurentian University in Sudbury and graduated from the midwifery education program in 2016. She began working with Community Midwives is Brantford in 2018.
Danielle and her husband live in Brantford with their two kids and she is very happy to be a part of Community Midwives of Brantford. She looks forward to working with your families and being a part of your midwifery experience.

Heather Pittman, RM

Heather is a graduate of Ryerson University's Midwifery Education Program and joins Community Midwives of Brantford in May 2020. She was born and raised in Waterloo Region and spent many summers with friends in Brantford, Paris, and Ayr. She has settled in with her partner, Jeff, and children in Paris, Ontario, and in her down time plans to explore all that the area has to offer.

Throughout her teen and adult years, Heather delighted in hearing the stories of her grandmothers and great-aunts who served as home birth and community midwives in rural Newfoundland during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century. She knew at a young age that she wanted to support parents during their own childbirth journey. It wasn't until she was under the care and guidance of skilled midwives during her own pregnancies that she set her sights on becoming a midwife. 

She is honoured to be supporting and serving Brant families during their childbearing year, and can't wait to meet you and your little bundles of joy.  

Nadia Reis, RM

I began catching babies in 2003. I worked as a Physician in a rural area in the south of Mexico where my motto was “first do no harm” but I felt that the views and values did not sit well with empowering the women. I discovered midwifery when working in the “ Lacandon Jungle”. I learned from “traditional” midwives to endure and enjoy the benefits of having a natural birth. I saw for the first time a woman giving birth in a squatting position. I had the opportunity to help women and learn hands on to trust my abilities, knowledge and intuition.

Midwifery is my passion and I am committed to provide individualized care and I will help you to find the strength in your instinct that has been there since the first human was born. I chose midwifery care for my own 2 pregnancies and I experienced first hand the intimate, personal, compassionate and supportive work that midwives offer. I am a strong believer of informed choice and respecting the personal autonomy while
offering a calm and reassuring presence for the women giving birth.

I am Grateful to be part of Community Midwives of Brantford and I am looking forward to be a part of your journey.