Who is Alberta's Chief Medical Officer Deena Hinshaw and what are her roots?
Born Deena Lynn Hinshaw to David Lamont Hinshaw and Judith (Judy) Edna Bergstrom in Whitehorse, Yukon. Matthew Lamont Hinshaw is Deena's brother, who is a Crown attorney in Alberta. Deena's other siblings live in Alberta. One of her sisters, Jodi, is an active elementary school teacher who is married to a volunteer fire fighter. She has two other siblings.
Deena's late father, David Hinshaw, was from Goldendale, Washington. The Hinshaws have a online and David's familial roots and extended family is spread throughout the US in Oregon and Washington. Many of David Hinshaw's family roots are in farming. Prior to his passing as a result of a car accident in Sylvan Lake, Alberta, in 1994, he owned a local print shop called "The Copy Shop". David married Deena's mother, Judy Hinshaw, in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Judy is from Sylvan Lake, Alberta and has served on the County Library Board multiple years. While serving on the Library Board, she worked alongside Barry Johns who was a Grade 1 teacher. Barry is mentioned as a "close friend" of the Hinshaw family according to David's obituary. Barry so happened to support the 2015 Premier of Alberta, Rachel Notley. Another academic, Darrel Hilman, is also mentioned in David's obituary. Darrel Hilman is now the Pastor of the Sylvan Lake Apostolic Lutheran Church and previously served as the Academic Chair of Pipe Trades at SAIT in Calgary.
Today Deena's mother, Judy, is an Instructor at the University of Calgary's Continuing Education and teaches history courses including British India, East India Company, British Raj, and Social History in Victorian England. Judy holds a PhD in European History.
Deena's late paternal grandfather, Vernon Hinshaw, was a member of The Gideons International and spent his childhood at a private Quaker college prep school in Barnesville, OH. He later bought multiple health food stores.
Local historian Michael Dawe previously researched on the Hinshaws and found a strong connection to Sylvan Lake and the surrounding area in Alberta. Dawe indicated that there were "dozens upon dozens" of Hinshaw relatives living in the area. In fact, Hinshaw Drive in Sylvan Lake was named in the family's honour.
Deena's family has roots in Quakerism (formally known as the Religious Society of Friends) and farming and ties to individuals in academia and public schooling. Her family also has close ties to Sylvan Lake and her brother, Matthew, operating as a Crown Attorney does further complicate matters. What happens when you have corporate police officer like Deena instructing her colleagues to arrest others and then a criminal Crown Attorney backing their sibling's decision? It is quite ironic for part of her family to operate health food businesses but then you have an individual in your family who is against natural medicine but backing big pharma's ideals…
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