CBU Renames Health and Counselling Centre after long-time Employee and Health Advocate Nancy Dingwall

Cape Breton University recently renamed the on-campus health and counseling center after long-time employee and health advocate, Nancy Dingwall. Dingwall began her career as the physiotherapist for CAPERS Athletics in 1980 and continued in that role until her retirement in 2013. Throughout her 33-year career at CBU, Nancy worked with student-athletes through the CBU Athletic Department, and with the community through what was formerly known as the Max Bell Health and Counselling Centre.

“My journey at CBU began in 1980 with a phone call from Bucky Buchanan asking me if I wanted to be part of a sports injury clinic with Dr. Betty Holmes. Saying yes began my tenure at the Max Bell Health Centre and the CBU family,” says Nancy Dingwall. “For 33 years the faculty, staff, and most importantly, the students filled my days with joy and hope while gifting me lifelong friendships. To be honoured in this manner is incredibly humbling and one I share with so many who helped make our clinic a safe and special place. I am forever grateful.”

The official motion for this name change was put forth in 2021 by Carol Beaton, a current member of the Cape Breton University Board of Governors. The motion was approved unanimously by the full Board, comprised of representatives from a multitude of stakeholders across all four counties of Cape Breton Island, and from within each of CBU’s Schools.

The Nancy Dingwall Health and Counselling Centre will look to embody Dingwall’s vision for a safe space with one door access to holistic healthcare on the CBU campus. The vision includes a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive environment where students and community members from all backgrounds and ways of life can receive the care they need.

“Nancy is a true professional when it comes to the care she has provided to her patients over the years. Masterful at her trade and guided by empathy and compassion, she has always held herself to a sky-high standard that set her far above others in her profession,” says Robert Sampson, Board Chair. “The name Nancy Dingwall is synonymous with exceptional care, and we are so proud the health and counseling centre will bear her name now, and for years to come.”

Dingwall represented CBU on the national stage at U Sports (then CIS), accompanied teams to national championships, and served as the volunteer physiotherapist lead at the Canada Games in 1987.

Nancy remains the ultimate CAPERS fan. Attending local games and watching the live stream from home when unable to attend in person. A passionate advocate for health, she remains active in the community, having served on the boards of the Cape Breton Regional Hospital Foundation and Hospice Cape Breton.