Meet your Team

The Midwives

Together we have 58 years of midwifery experience, 6 amazing little boys, 3 super-husbands and 1 beautiful clinic!

Here's a little about each of us individually...

Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum Cowichan Valley

Jane Ballaro, Registered Midwife

Jane has been attending births for over 20 years. She first became enthralled with pregnancy and birth at the age of 9, when her mother was pregnant with her only sibling. Following attending classes for expectant siblings, where videos of actual births were shared, she began telling everyone she knew that she was going to deliver (‘catch’) babies one day.

Fast forward to 1999, following a move to Toronto, she began volunteering at “Jessie’s Centre for Teens” an outreach centre for pregnant teens. Through Jessie’s she began training to be a doula and attending her first births. The next year she was accepted into the competitive Ontario Midwifery Education Programme in Toronto. For the next 4 years, she had midwifery placements throughout southern Ontario, including Toronto, Owen Sound, Peterborough and Kingston.

In 2004, she graduated from the Ontario Midwifery Education Programme with a degree in Health Sciences, Midwifery. She accepted a position in the Fraser Valley in BC, as she had spent the four years prior the midwifery education programme both on Vancouver Island and the northern interior. In 2006, she joined the sole practice in Duncan BC. For the past almost 18 years, she has been providing care to the families of the Cowichan Valley.

Jane lives with her husband and two sons on a small acreage.

Talia McKenzie, Registered Midwife

I have been drawn to birth and supporting women through their journey to motherhood since the age of 16 when I attended my sister's first birth. I recognized for the first time, the incredible strength that she had and knew that I wanted to continue to be involved in this process for the rest of my life. After much living (travel, university, small business owner etc..) and even having a child of my own, I decided to pursue Midwifery as a career and graduated from UBC in 2011.

I have since worked with Jane Ballaro at the Matraea centre and have caught many hundreds of babies in the Cowichan Valley. Despite the many births that I attend, I am struck by how unique each experience is and how much of an honour it is for me to be a part of each one.

I love helping families transition into their new lives as parents and help experienced parents grow their families. When I am not catching babies, I enjoy all things outdoors and spending time with my husband and our two wonderful boys.

Willow McConell, Registered Midwife

I was born into the hands of a Vancouver Island midwife, and was then present at the births of all three of my siblings. I'm pretty sure this had a little something to do with my decision to become a midwife;) I completed my midwifery degree in New Zealand and graduated in 2007. My 5 years of practice in NZ were within an incredible community of fellow midwives, where I worked in independent practice (similar to BC's model), as an antenatal instructor and as a staff midwife within the hospital.

After having my first baby with some of my favourite Kiwi midwives, I completed a long and involved bridging program and became registered in Canada in 2014. I then worked as a locum midwife in the Cowichan Valley from 2014 until 2021. I have met so many wonderful families in the valley and have been fortunate to work alongside all of the amazing midwives here. Our second baby was born in Duncan, under the care of Jane and Talia!

I have been a midwife for 17 years now and remain passionate about midwifery. I especially love connecting with women and their families as they navigate the incredible journey into parenthood. I bring with me a genuine desire to listen, years of experience and practical skills, the ability to form meaningful relationships and a sense of humour.

When I am not working, I love cooking, gardening, hunting out second hand treasures, music (listening to and creating), playing outside with my family, nerding out (it's true!) and making things.

I am thrilled to officially be a member of the local midwifery team here in Cowichan and am delighted to be a part of this practice with Jane and Talia. I look forward to meeting you and to the privilege of playing a role in your pregnancy, birthing and parenthood adventures.

Jennifer Armstrong Photography

At Our Front Desk

Samara Ferguson, Office Assistant

Samara Ferguson is the MOA at Station Street Midwives and is thrilled to work with such an incredible team in the Cowichan Valley. She takes the inclusive care and attention to the clients who visit the office very seriously with compassion and a supportive presence.

She is a mother of 3 and has served families while travelling through Canada and overseas with her amazing husband for over 18 years in various capacities of family support; such as Nanny and Childcare Provider, Office Administration, Full Spectrum Doula Support and many other hats. In a nutshell, she loves the inner workings and the many layers to families and feels at home being a supportive presence right from the start. She believes community is immunity and when we feel supported, this is where we thrive.

Background Photography: Kelsey Amos. "Dahlias" Flora & Fauna Farm