Long-Time Pediatrician Reflects on Her Long Career at Children’s Centre
It’s appropriate that Five Counties Children’s Centre named its Peterborough site after Dr. Mary Thain. After all, the Centre’s long-time pediatrician is a cornerstone of the life-changing care that goes on there.
As Five Counties marks its 50th anniversary in 2025, Dr. Thain is a very familiar face at the Centre. She first joined Five Counties in fall 1976, marking the start of a nearly 50-year career that would benefit and shape the lives of countless children and families across the region.
“When I started, I was helping to plan the care for physically disabled children, and I had very little experience with that,” notes Dr. Thain, who trained at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. “I knew coming to Five Counties, I had a lot to learn… and I was fortunate because the therapists were willing to teach me what they knew, and each of them had very specific knowledge about the treatment of these children.”
With the initial learning curve complete, Dr. Thain would go on to a long career in children’s rehabilitation medicine, working closely with physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, social workers and other clinicians at Five Counties. According to Dr. Thain, it was a life-long learning opportunity for her, as the therapists always encouraged her to take courses and learn more. Specialists from the University of Toronto, including Dr. John Wedge, Dr. Wendy Roberts, and Dr. Darcy Fehlings, also provided her with valuable knowledge and guidance.
Initially, the Five Counties clinical team would see and serve children and youth with different physical disabilities. Over time, kids who were neurodivergent or who had more complexities would feature more prominently in the Centre’s caseload.
Whether pinpointing cerebral palsy as the malady affecting a child, making a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, or supporting a child in other ways, Dr. Thain is direct in what she relays to families. “I like understanding the disability, the pathophysiology and talking to parents about how a child is coping. And explaining why the child is having specific difficulties, if I can,” she notes. “That said, I tend to be fairly blunt about it, but that’s just my personality. I don’t candy coat it.”
As the only physician at Five Counties, Dr. Thain made the role her own. After 40+ years as the Centre’s Medical Director, Dr. Thain retired in 2017 – but not before Five Counties renamed its Peterborough site after her and successfully nominated her for an Award of Excellence from its umbrella organization, Empowered Kids Ontario.
Retirement was short lived, as Dr. Thain returned soon afterwards when Five Counties again needed a pediatrician. Dr. Thain came back as a consulting physician to work with kids, but as of June 2025, is finally calling it quits, as she retires from Five Counties for good.
Her longevity at the Centre means Dr. Thain has seen multiple generations of the same family. “Oh yes, I’ve seen the children and grandchildren of the adults whom I saw as kids,” she notes.
She’s also been resolute in supporting kids with different abilities in all types of weather. There’s the time that Dr. Thain drove in a snowstorm to Haliburton County to see families, only to discover the space Five Counties rented in Haliburton was closed. A force of nature herself, Dr. Thain insisted the building supervisor reopen the space for her. “I was not amused,” she recalls, “but the building opened, and I don’t know if half the patients, or a third of them, but a number came, and I saw all who did.”
Over the years, Dr. Thain is grateful for the friendships she’s made with Five Counties staff and the difference the Centre makes to support children and families. “Without Five Counties being here,” she says, “there would be a lot less service for children and a lot more travelling for families.”
Asked about her best memory at Five Counties, the forthrightness for which she’s known shines through. “The best memories are the parties that the staff had,” Dr. Thain says, with a laugh, “but we also had some good clinical memories of children who did better than we expected, families who learned to accept disability well, and would be very pleased with any progress that the child made. And that kind of attitude made such a difference in the outcome for the child.”
Just as her own work in pediatric medicine had made a difference for generations of children in this region.
Category: General News