Our practice works with a shared care model, which means that all members of our team are your midwives. You will meet each of us several times throughout your pregnancy, and one of us will be with you in labour and at your birth. All of our midwives are comfortable with both hospital birth and home birth in normal, healthy situations.

Who We Are

Lyanne Quirt, RM (She/Her)

Beth Smit, RM (She/Her)

Beth is originally from Nanaimo, and has lived on Vancouver Island most of her life. She left in 2003 to attend McMaster University’s Midwifery Education Program, and graduated in 2007.

Beth practiced as a midwife in the friendly Northern Ontario town of Sault Ste Marie before getting homesick and coming back to the Victoria area in 2010. Beth has worked in a solo midwife model and in a group midwifery practice, and is excited about working as a team at Arbutus to get the best of both worlds: lots of time and visits with each woman and family so they can get to know each other well before labour, and back up if two women labour at once or one midwife has been up all night.

Beth loves the midwifery model of care in BC because of the opportunity for personal connection between midwives and women, and because of all the choices the midwifery model gives women with respect to their care and where they give birth. Outside of midwifery, Beth is the mother of two children, a son born in 2009 and a daughter born in 2012. Beth has a passion for the outdoors, whether that means working in her garden, or hiking and camping around Vancouver Island when she’s not on call.

Astrid Fritzsche, RM (She/Her)
– Astrid is currently on a temporary leave

Astrid is a second generation settler of immigrant Dutch and German grandparents, and though transplanted, has been home on BC’s shores since she visited as a child. She is grateful and aware of her position on the unceded territory of the Lkwungen people.

Astrid is a graduate of the Midwifery program through the faculty of Medicine at UBC, and came to midwifery with a prior degree in genetics, biopsychology and gender studies. She has spent almost all of her professional career in Victoria, and has worked in a variety of practices and team structures over the last 14 years. Astrid enjoys excellent relationships with our interprofessional colleagues – the nurses, obstetricians and family doctors – in the hospital, and is equally comfortable and supportive of home birth. She is a strong believer in facilitating pregnant folks to find their community connections and resources in their social and community circles, and defining chosen family for themselves in functional and supportive ways. She is a founding member of the Trans and Queer Pregnancy and Parenting group in Victoria.

Astrid identifies her critical foundation for doing the crazy work of midwifery as her supportive family: her chosen family friends, her eco-hippie parents, her outspoken and devoted partner and her four tolerant kids, who are between 2 and 18 years old. When not driving her electric car around the city on the way to clinic, births or visits, she can be found tending to honeybees, hiking up mountains, reading about conflict resolution and ranting about – and forever practicing- raising feminist boys.

Rowan Kennedy-Macdonald, RM, IBCLC (She/Her)
– Rowan is currently on a maternity leave

Rowan was born at home, in Paradise Valley, BC. Her birth was attended by a midwife and Rowan believes this positive origin story has always kindled in her a deep appreciation of midwifery and of birth. After a childhood in the UK, Rowan came back to Canada and cozied in to all of the wonders of the BC West Coast.

After completing her Bachelors degree in Child and Youth Care, through the University of Victoria, Rowan spent several years working and learning within communities who were experiencing limitations to accessing care. Primarily working in shelters, transition homes, detox facilities and safe-consumption sites. During this time, she started working more within the world of reproductive justice, supporting people who were pregnant and struggling to access supportive care, as well as facilitating sexual/reproductive health and education groups for young people. From there, Rowan decided she needed more skills and resources to offer to the folks she was working with and midwifery was such a clear choice of direction. Rowan is a graduate of the Midwifery Program at the University of British Columbia. She is grateful to work on the unceded territory of the Lekwungen People (Esquimalt and Songhees Nations) and thoughtful about what this means in her practice as a midwife and in her work within healthcare. Rowan is passionate about creating access to safe, respectful and dignified care for all communities, while working in a way which honours the individual’s resilience and strength…with a large focus on joy and delight in the process!

Rowan is also trained and certified as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Rowan lives in the Quw’utsun (Cowichan) Valley with her partner and their twin boys. Becoming a mum has been the most profound experience in Rowan’s life and she is delighted and honoured to support folks as they navigate their own pregnancy, birth and parenting journeys.

Touka Shamkhi, RM (She/Her)

Touka graduated from the Midwifery Education Program at McMaster University and practiced as a midwife in Ontario before moving out West. Touka knew she wanted to work in healthcare, and began her education journey in Nursing before pursuing Midwifery. Touka is passionate about client advocacy, and has previously worked with the Midwifery Education Program and Association of Ontario Midwives towards racial equity in healthcare and education. In addition to English, Touka speaks Arabic. 
In her free time Touka enjoys soccer, reading, and drinking endless cups of tea!

Kate Lorimer, RM (She/Her)

Kate Lorimer is a descendant of settlers from Western European heritage, and she is grateful to live, work and study with her family on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Lekwungen) People, known also as Esquimalt and Songhees Nation. She grew up on the traditional territory of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation and the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, known today as Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Kate is a graduate of the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Medicine, Bachelor of Midwifery program. Kate is thrilled to be working with the families at Arbutus Midwives.

Kate has always been interested in birth, and she is passionate about advocating for personal choices and individualized care. The way each person experiences pregnancy and birth is extremely important to her and as a care provider she feels privileged to help support you as you build your families. 

As a stepping stone to her education and career Kate has been a member Victoria birth community for many years, helping families as their doula, as well as being a childbirth educator. Having invited midwives to her own birth, she knows firsthand the impact midwifery care has on families, and she is proud to be among such an inspiring team at Arbutus! 

In her downtime Kate likes to get out to the woods as much as possible with her family. Her dog Luna insists on taking in all the flora and fauna on each walk! If she’s not outside, Kate likes to knit or sew lots of little projects!

Ashley Broadbent, RM (She/Her)

Ashley Broadbent has been a practicing Midwife since 2008 in the
Ottawa Valley.
Ashley graduated from the Midwifery Education Program at
Laurentian University, and started practicing midwifery in September 2008. She did
her first year with the Community Care Midwives in Oshawa Ontario and
continued her practice with Gentle Beginnings Midwifery in Ottawa. Previously to
midwifery, she completed an Environmental Science degree at the University of
Ottawa. Ashley also has a background in herbal medicine and a vast knowledge of
vitamins and herbal supplements. 
Ashley looks forward to joining Arbutus Midwives and working with the women of this
beautiful community.

Raven Thunderstorm, RM, IBCLC (She/Her)

Raven grew up in northern BC and spent most of her life prior to Midwifery supporting birthing families in some capacity or another. Her previous work has included pregnancy outreach, infant development, breastfeeding support, and many years as a Doula and Childbirth Educator. Raven is a graduate of the Midwifery program at UBC. She became a Midwife because she is passionate about supporting families and birthing people to be informed and make choices that are right for them, as well as the wondrous honor of being a part of this time in people’s lives.

Raven is also trained and certified as a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Raven hopes to provide culturally humble care to all families, from all backgrounds, and especially as uninvited settler on the stolen and unceded lands of  the Lekwungen-speaking Peoples, (the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations).  Raven is invested in building connections and supporting families to make the choices that are best for them, while providing evidence based care. Raven is a solo parent to 2 amazing children who still think Midwifery is the coolest job ever, even though it makes all their lives a little more unpredictable.

Outside of midwifery Raven can be found reading a good book,relearning how to sew, and spending all kinds of time with her kids and her two family cats.

Leila Kent, RM (She/Her)

Hi! My name is Leila Raudvee Kent. I’m an Estonian-Irish-English settler born with the help of a midwife and raised on Dish with One Spoon treaty territory in Toronto. My vanaema and vanaisa (grandparents) fled Estonia by fishing boats due to war and occupation, met and married in a refugee camp, and had babies in lands where they didn’t know the system or speak the language. They survived and adapted by working together with their community, but never lost their deep ache for a homeland that was taken from them. Their stories, their joy, their pain, and our little Estonian diasporic community shaped me and built in me a deep commitment to supporting people’s resilience through challenges. From my dad’s side who descended from Irish refugees and English settlers, I learned a love of growing things, nature, ecology, biology, and figuring out how to translate science/research into normal words. I also became frustrated with the lack of trauma informed care I and others I loved were experiencing in the health system. Someone I respected said “I think you should study midwifery” and suddenly all my interests clicked into place and I couldn’t think about learning anything else. (You’ll see quickly that I’m very nerdy and enjoy answering questions). I completed my midwifery training at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and also hold an Honours BA from the University of Toronto in Equity Studies and Environmental Studies. Before midwifery I worked for Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders, ran an events business, worked in fundraising, was a PSW, nanny, worked in community theatre, in an ecology lab, and probably more things I’ve forgotten to mention.
I’m grateful to now be living and practicing here on unceded lands of the Lekwungen People (Esquimalt and Songhees Nations). I am committed to respecting the leadership of the Nations who steward this land and to upholding the safety of Indigenous people from here and from across Turtle Island. I recognize my responsibilities in healthcare and in my personal life as outlined by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee , UNDRIP, and to upholding Island Health’s policy against anti-Indigenous racism. I believe in the future Indigenous midwives are already creating where birth will return to all communities and I believe stable funding for South Island Indigenous Midwifery Services (SIIMS) should be immediately provided by the province. When not working, I have a wonderful partner and an extremely silly dog who I love to hike with, I sing soprano in Estonian choir, and I love the sauna – Leil means sauna steam/spirit in Estonian and my ancestors used to give birth in warm water in the sauna. Je parle Français/ Hablo un poco de Español/ Ma räägin natuke eesti keelt… ma õpin.
I’m looking forward to meeting you!

Maghan Campbell, RM (She/Her) – Postpartum Midwifery

I am a Registered Midwife who is fully privileged at Victoria General Hospital. I have been practicing midwifery on the territory of the Lekwungen and W’SAANEC People since my graduation from the UBC Midwifery Program in 2020. I practice midwifery with compassion, non-judgement, and always through a harm-reduction lens. 

I am a mother. My experience raising two fierce and squirmy babies has profoundly changed the way I approach perinatal care. I am always mindful of the overwhelming vulnerability that comes with bringing new life into the world. At the same time, I know there is deep strength rooted in that vulnerability if we are supported to access it.  

I have a background as a front-line mental health worker, and harm reduction advocate and researcher. As a midwife, I have a special interest in serving pregnant people who use substances or are in remission from Substance Use Disorder. I am also a clinical instructor for the UBC Faculty of Midwifery. I love to teach and will have students working with me from time to time. 

In my spare time, I enjoy going on adventures with my family, swimming outside, banging on my drums, and reading a good book. I am really looking forward to meeting you soon!

Alexa Gordon, MOA (She/Her)

The Arbutus Midwives are so grateful to have Alexa as our Medical Office Assistant. She is often the kind voice you will hear when you call our office and is the person who greats you when you come to clinic. She makes all of our lives a little bit easier and more hilarious.

Midwifery Students

We are a teaching practice – midwifery and medical students may be involved in your care from time to time. They will always be supervised, and they will never do anything beyond their level of competence. Most clients find that working with students is a very positive experience, but please speak to one of the midwives privately if you would prefer not to involve students in some or all aspects of your care.

When the team is very busy, a midwife is sick, or additional support is needed for other reasons, Arbutus Midwives regularly makes use of our Community Support Midwife, MJ Harris. MJ is not an official team member, but if needed, we would like our clients to be familiar with her and the services she offers.