The first annual North Island Menopause Conference took place at the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River, BC on October 26. The full day conference included a variety of different speakers, and the conference was also offered via online streaming. Over 280 people participated in the first conference — a resounding success and clear evidence that more resources and support are needed!

The second annual conference will be offered on November 8, 2025, with both online and in-person tickets available.

Founder, Kathy Grayson

Kathy Grayson is a Registered Massage Therapist based in Campbell River who was inspired to start this festival because of her desire to learn and help other women. When approaching perimenopause herself,  she became frustrated: with all the poor information on the internet, the lack of research available, the amount of time and energy lost searching. She craved knowledge and direction and thought to herself, “I can’t be the only one that is having this problem?”

She remembered in the past when employers would send her to an all day conference on topics that helped her with your job and she wondered, “What if that existed for menopause? This could help other women!”

The idea for the conference was then formed, and has grown to involve other great women who feel passionate about building a supportive community and helping women flourish.

 In her practice as a Registered Massage Therapist, she regularly works with women who are struggling with navigating peri and menopause related issues, and as a result, she wanted to create an opportunity to dispel the sense of shame and isolation that so many women feel dealing with these issues. She wanted to empower women with knowledge, create a safe space to share, and connect the community to local professionals that can help.

She currently runs Mid Island Massage Therapy and when she’s not working, you’ll find her feeding her chickens, fishing, traveling with her husband or visiting her kids.