Cultural & Traditional Activities
Supporting the community’s connection to traditional language, art, and family involvement, cultural activities are offered throughout the year following seasonal harvest times and are designed to provide community wellness and enrichment in honor of Nlaka’pamux traditions.

Gathering of Traditional Foods
Encouraging the gathering of traditional food and medicines that include:

The importance of proper foot care:

Your feet can give an early warning about serious health problems and can develop serious foot problems as they age, which puts their health, independence, and well-being at risk.

Reasons to seek Foot care Services

You may have a health condition such as diabetes, vascular issues, auto-immune concerns, cancer, wounds, skin conditions and or:

• Have vision problems that make it difficult for you to see your feet well enough to perform your own foot care
• Have limited strength or agility in your hands
• Have involuted or ingrown nails
• Have thickened nails that are difficult to trim
• Have toenail fungus and other nail/skin conditions
• Are diabetic and therefore at a higher risk of developing foot problems due to decreased sensation to your feet
• Have poor circulation to your feet
• Have limited ability to reach your feet
• Callous, corns, bunions, hammer/claw/rigid toes
• Any changes in your feet & gait.

Meet Suzanne Marcel, Footcare Nurse (LPN)

Suzanne is a Lisenced Practical Nurse with a Bachelor of Science of Podology,with Advanced footcare training & Certified Podologist & Certified Master Pedicurist.

Heskw’en’scuxte Health Services Society has contracted a certified footcare nurse to come out to our communities every 6 weeks. Clients living in community do not need a referral. If you have any foot or nail concerns, please call our offices to book an appointment.

John Tai

Registered Massage Therapist

John Tai is a BC Registered Massage Therapist practicing in the Greater Vancouver Area and the Fraser Canyon. His area of interest is in pain management, rehabilitation, and sports. His approach to RMT can be direct and assertive in dealing with sports like injuries. He works with a gentle touch to help with healing that seeds deeper than the physical body. He has training in both Western and Eastern philosophies: mind/vipassana meditation, Yoga, Pilates, Craniosacral Therapy, Somatoemotional Release, and Visceral Manipultation. John lives a very active lifestyle that is full of travel and adventure. In 2019, he and his family relocated to the Fraser Canyon to develop their homestead and future.

Melanie Roberts

Registered Massage Therapist

Melanie Roberts started her massage therapy career in Vernon, BC in Sept. 1992. She worked in various clinics in town and provided massage therapy for CMH guests and Silver Star guests and Teams at the Altitude Training Centre. Her focus of choice is to access a client’s body for misaligned bones and movement dysfunction using an osteopathic technique called MET, Muscle Energy Technique, which uses the clients’ muscles and slight resistance to realign the pelvis, S.I. joints and vertebrae, which also releases the muscles that originally pulled them out of function, followed by a good medium to deep full body massage to feel rejuvenated. In 2001, Melanie moved to Kamloops and worked in various clinics before opening her solo practice on the North Shore during COVID, went mobile, and enjoys meeting with clients in their homes.

Please call the office to book an appointment with John or Melanie in Siska or Cooks Ferry. Open to all community members living on and off reserve.

Medication pick-up can be challenging at times, living in a rural setting. Access to reliable transportation or physical decline may prevent clients of getting the medication they need.

Heskw’en’scutxe Health Services Society implemented a weekly medication pick on Tuesdays at Aberdeen Pharmasave in Kamloops.

If you live in the community and wish to be part of this program, please call the pharmacy directly @ 250.314.1177 to have your medication filled there. Heskw’en’scutxe will pick them up for you. Alternatively, the Lytton pharmacy opened in the summer of 2025, and your medication can be picked up by request. You can reach the pharmacy @ 778.254.5454.

The Society offers monthly shopping services to community members who do not have a reliable mode of transportation to purchase basic supplies. Cooks Ferry takes clients to Ashcroft, Merritt, or Kamloops on the last Wednesday of the month. Siska takes clients to Chilliwack, Hope, Lillooet, Merritt, or Ashcroft at the end of the month. Please contact the offices a few days ahead to book a seat.

Heskw’en’scutxe offers Telehealth in both offices for those who prefer having a virtual appointment with the health provider in their community.

Please inform your health care provider of this option and we can organize meetings according to your needs. Call the office for more information.

Heskw’en’scutxe Health Services offers complimentary swimming and gymnasium passes to the Nicola Valley Aquatic Centre in Merritt & Hope Recreation Centre in Hope* for Siska and Cooks Ferry community members living on and off reserve.

*Please call the office to be added to the Nicola Valley Aquatic pool’s registry lists and new as of October 2025, the Hope Recreation Centre!

Free Summer Swims:
Free swims are offered during the summer season at the Ashcroft Swimming pool for Cook’s Ferry** members living on and off reserve. Simply sign in at the pool registration desk.

Free swims also offered by Kumsheen Resort in Lytton for local community members.

**Sponsored by Cooks Ferry Social Development Department.