While most teenagers were exploring the latest music trends like New Kids on the Block or bearing witness to political and cultural shifts unfolding in 1989, Louise Burbidge was buying a bike to get to work.
“I was a single mom with no license—fresh out of high school and nothing to bring to the table. But I needed to provide for my daughter.” She says, “CMH gave me a chance.”
In those early years, Louise started in Health Information Management taking on any task that came her way. “I wanted to learn,” she says, describing how her role evolved from helping with filing to quantitative and qualitative analysis of health records. She even took on the challenge of ensuring the hospital upheld its commitment to the Public Hospital Act (1990).
Thirty-six years later, Louise juggles three demanding roles. “I kept evolving,” she shares, “I don’t believe in leaving someone with nothing—if you don’t know the answer, commit to finding it or someone who does.”
This philosophy carried her through those decades. Today, she’s the ‘gatekeeper’ of adult psychiatry referrals, co-chairs the Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee, and serves as Chief Steward for the Service Employees International Union.
“I’ve made many lifelong friends and family along the way—it’s been wonderful.” Her role is autonomous and every day is different, bringing with it new opportunities to explore.
Louise’s journey would not have been possible without her bike.
“It’s my time to meditate, work through my day—I say hello to the birds.” Louise laughs. Sometimes she takes the long way home, riding 20 kilometers to clear her mind. Over the seasons, she’s come to recognize returning birds—and delights in spotting new ones. “It’s like meeting someone for the first time,” she says. “It brings me joy.”
Louise credits her resilience and well-being to her biking journey. She notices the impact on her mental health when winter keeps her off her bike. That doesn’t stop her from getting outdoors, even just to walk home.
Louise brings this experience back to Outpatient Mental Health, working closely with her colleagues to promote it among their patients. For staff, the benefits could be monumental and a great tool to become more self-sufficient in taking care of one’s own well-being.
She’s also grateful that CMH supports staff who bike to work—offering a secure bike cage that makes commuting by bike more accessible. She added that biking also saves her money on parking, “It’s one less thing to worry about.” With a grin, she says that if the hospital keeps promoting wellness, a bigger cage will be needed.
“I think more people should bike—it’s way easier than you think.” Louise says, reflecting on what started as a necessity has become a lifeline—one she shares with others. She hopes others might discover their own sense of freedom, the way she once did on two wheels.