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The Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Foundation is thrilled to announce an incredible match gift from donor & GBGH volunteer, James Layter.  From April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024, Layter will match all new monthly donations to the GBGH Foundation, up to a total of $20,000. The Foundation’s Monthly Giving program provides a reliable source of funding for the Impact Fund, which helps GBGH to purchase essential equipment, enlarge our hospital’s footprint and update technology.

In 2023 and 2024, one of the Foundation’s key impact priorities will be raising more than $4-million to purchase and install an MRI machine. GBGH has recently received approval of operational funding for an MRI, which will improve access and reduce wait times for patients in North Simcoe, but the hospital must rely on the community to invest in the technology.

The Foundation has seen great response to match gifts for other fundraising initiatives, and their hope is that Layter’s match gift will rally the community to come together and invest in local health care. Layter has been inspired to support the Foundation by other match gifts for the past few years, and was eager to step up and offer a match gift of his own in 2023.

I personally love having my donations matched by another person,” shares Layter. “It makes it feel like we are working together to provide even more support to our hospital – and our hospital really needs it!  As a volunteer, I see how hard the staff and doctors work, and they need to keep up to date with technology to make their lives easier as they look after thousands of patients.”

In 2022 & 2023, the Foundation partnered with Bourgeois Auto Group to offer a Monthly Giving Match, which inspired 41 new donors to join the program – a 50% increase in participation from previous years. The Foundation hopes that this new match will continue the momentum.

“We are so grateful to Bourgeois Auto Group for their generous support to help build our Monthly Giving program over the past two years,” says Nicole Kraftscik, CEO, GBGH Foundation. “Our monthly donors are a special group of people who choose to make an affordable gift every month in order to provide critical funding for our hospital. We compare it to a Netflix or Spotify subscription, or your daily coffee or tea, but with incredible social benefit. Together, our Monthly Donors are able to purchase important equipment for GBGH, because pooling resources together is where the real magic happens.”

To learn more about the Foundation’s Monthly Giving program, and the opportunity to double your impact in 2023-2024, please click here: or call the GBGH Foundation office at 705-526-GIVE (4483).



Gail La Chapelle was a nurse in the Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) Emergency Department, a mother of four, wife, student, and champion of fundraising efforts to support cancer research and treatment. Gail returned to school at the age of 32 to get her RPN designation and kept on taking courses while working, parenting four children, and eventually fighting pancreatic cancer. She received her Registered Nurses’ designation just months before losing her battle with cancer in September 2006.

In her memory, her husband Gerard, family, and friends turned her passion for family, learning, and her chosen profession – nursing – into a legacy they have shared with the GBGH community. “The Family and Friends of Gail La Chapelle Education Fund” is committed to investing in the future of nursing at GBGH. Each year, up to $6,000 is awarded to nurses to help with their financial costs of education ($5,000 in education grants and a $1,000 bursary).

The Bursary provides $1,000 in funding for RNs & RPNs advancing in their senior year of Nursing or pursuing a Masters. The Education Grant provides financial assistance for courses including palliative care, trauma nursing, advanced cardiac life support, perioperative nursing, critical care nursing and wound care. This year’s recipients received a total of $5,425 toward continuing their education and growing their skills.

Congratulations to (from left in photo): Jaimie Clarke, Alannah Eberschlag, Vannessa Stacey, Sarah Macmurchy, Sean Tackaberry, Valerie Quesnelle and (not in photo) Alanna Bouffard, Erika Weber & Destiney Benson.

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Jeff Holloway, Director

Jeff works at RBC Dominion Securities in Midland and joined RBC Wealth Management in 2014. In his current role, Jeff provides wealth management solutions to business owners, executives, professionals, and retirees.

Prior to working at RBC, Jeff was a partner at a leadership consulting firm and was a vice president at a Fortune 500 consulting company. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CPA, CA) while working for a multinational audit, tax, and consulting firm, he was the Controller at the National Hockey League Players’ Association.

Jeff was born in Kitchener-Waterloo and spent most of his childhood living in Owen Sound.  He moved to the Midland area full-time in 2019. He graduated from the University of Waterloo with an Honors degree in Mathematics (Computer Science). Jeff also holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation and the Chartered Investment Manager (CIM) designation.

Jeff is very supportive of many worthwhile causes in our local community. Currently, he is the Treasurer for the Quest Art School and Gallery in Midland.