Welcome to Passages Midwifery in South Edmonton!
Midwives Heather Wanjala (nee Martin), Amrit Rai, Samantha Smith-Bird, Melissa Cardinal-Grant, Emma Willson and Taryn Barkley are so excited to offer their services out of our new Southwest Edmonton location!
Our address is 3474 93 Street NW, Unit 207. (Please note: this is NOT our mailing address. All mail can be sent to our Stony Plain office.) Our fax number is (587) 689-2296.
To apply for care with our midwives at this office, select “Passages Midwifery: Southwest Edmonton” from the waitlist.
ABOUT US
Amrit Rai
Registered Midwife
I completed my Bachelor of Midwifery Degree at Mount Royal University in Calgary. I was accepted into the midwifery program immediately after completing my high school education. I am originally from Surrey, BC where I grew up prior to moving to Alberta for post secondary school. I am of Indo-Canadian descent and am fluent in Punjabi and English.
As a child, I always knew that I wanted to work in the field of medicine and had a specific interest in women’s health. When I was in grade 11, I was given the opportunity to go to Ottawa for a week and participate in a program called “Encounters with Canada” filled with workshops focussed on medicine and health. It was there that the seed of midwifery was planted in my mind. I was drawn to a workshop titled “baby catching” run by the local midwives, and from that moment moving forward I knew that midwifery was the path for me.
I am grateful to all of the families who have welcomed me into being a part of their beautiful and unique birthing experiences. Every birth has taught me invaluable life lessons of strength, empowerment, resilience, love, and unity. I am someone who is passionate about advocating for my clients to have their voices heard. I want to ensure that every individual’s birth experience is centered around their own values and decisions.
I hope to someday provide midwifery services to marginalized populations of women in underprivileged communities across the globe. I love to travel and have had Midwifery placements in Calgary, Saskatoon, Fort Qu’Appelle, Medicine Hat, and Edmonton.
At Passages, I am on a team with Samantha Smith-Bird. We look forward to working with you through this time of transition and new beginnings!
pronouns: she/ her
Samantha Smith-Bird
Registered Midwife
I hail from a little bit of both of Canada’s coasts with a bit of the middle mixed in. I am so pleased to be working with the Passages midwives, partnered with Amrit Rai.
I have long felt that health professions were the place for me and pursued a dual program major in Public Health and Geography (medical concentration) while competing as a division 1 athlete south of the border. But I soon found that I felt stymied in my ability to be useful without a clinical skill set. The flame for midwifery was lit during my first pregnancy. At that time I was fortunate to receive midwifery care, before a move to a smaller city necessitated a transfer of care to a physician as there were no midwives in that city. I went on two have more children and was increasingly frustrated by the lack of midwifery services in my area. My public health training could see the incredible value that midwives offered in their evidence-based, person-centered approach and I wanted to be one of them. I would often research midwifery programs in the dark hours of the night while nursing my babies. Finally, when my littlest was seven months old I bit the bullet and applied to the Ontario Midwifery Education Program and was accepted.
My final year of education was spent in Southern Ontario working at Canada’s only midwifery-led and staffed hospital unit. I am so pleased to now work with the skilled midwives at Passages and look forward to being involved in your care.
When not in clinic, at home visits or in hospital, you’ll find me searching for local adventures and treasures with my three boys and husband, curled up with a book, rowing on the water, or hunting for the next travel deal.
Pronouns: she/her
Emma Willson
New Registrant Midwife
I treasure all of these experiences, from working in high risk busy birthing wards, to the coziest candle-lit homebirths.
My favourite part of midwifery is the continuity of care. I love building a trusting relationship with a family and guiding them as they welcome their newest member.
I’m happy to be working at Passages and look forward to being with you on the next chapter of your journey!
Pronouns: she/ her
Taryn Campbell
Registered Midwife
Bio coming soon!
