Emo’s two newest doctors have received an official welcome to the community by the township and chamber of commerce, including gift baskets put together by the businesses that make up the chamber.
“It’s a way of expressing our gratitude and support,’ Paul Koomans, an Emo Chamber of Commerce representative, told The Times. “With the overall shortage, regionally, provincially and nationally, for us to get new doctors is a big deal.”
As in many rural regions across Ontario, the Northwest is facing a severe shortage of doctors and other critical healthcare workers. Throughout the province, more than 2.5 million people are without a family physician, a rise of around 700,000 since 2020. With Dr. Spencer Pearce and Dr. Amtul Noor Ahmed’s arrival in Emo, residents on the waiting list can hope for some relief.
Pearce is no stranger to Northwestern Ontario, having been born in Sioux Lookout and later moving to Emo as a child. After finishing his schooling at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont. and completing his residency in Chatham, Ont., he moved back to Emo in September 2025 with plans to stay for the long run.
“It’s home, that’s why I came back,” said Pearce, who spends the majority of his free time with his children. “I spend most of my time looking after two young kids,” he said. “We have a two-year-old and a seven-month-old, so I don’t do too much else right now, but I like to fish as much as I can.”
Ahmed also plans to stay for the long term. With a busy medical career that has moved her around the world, she’s now ready to be settled in a quieter environment.
“The simplicity, kindness and generosity here really stand out,” said Ahmed, who has been in Emo since last January. Her medical experience extends far past the boundaries of the small township.
“I was born in Sierra Leone, Africa, schooled in Nigeria and in the U.K., got married and moved to Pakistan before coming to Canada,” she said. “I was living in Vaughan in the Greater Toronto Area and then spent some time in Saskatchewan. My last workplace was in New Brunswick at the Moncton Hospital.”
In her spare time, Ahmed has been enjoying becoming acquainted with the area and its people.
“I’m a people person,” she said. “I love being outdoors, meeting people, socializing and doing lots of volunteer and social work.”
Both doctors are currently taking new patients; anyone looking for a physician in the area who hasn’t joined the waiting list is encouraged to do so.
