Screen for Life Coach Launches New “Hub Model” for 2026 Travel Season

The Screen for Life Coach has released its 2026 travel schedule with a new regional hub model designed to keep cancer screening accessible for communities across Northwestern Ontario. Operating from four hub locations between April and October 2026 will allow the Coach to continue providing uninterrupted screening services despite ongoing mechanical issues.

The Screen for Life Coach (Coach) is a mobile cancer screening bus that delivers breast, cervical, and colon cancer screening services in one convenient place.

“The current Coach is nearing the end of its lifespan after supporting cancer screening in Northwestern Ontario for 13 years,” says David McConnell, Director of the North West Regional Cancer Program at Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “We understand the critical role the Coach plays in making screening accessible in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities where services may be limited. By adopting a temporary hub model as we wait for our new mobile screening bus, we’re able to bring screening services closer to home for communities in the region.”

The Coach will be screening in the following communities during the 2026 travel season:

• Marathon (Wilson Memorial General Hospital), April 24 – May 24, 2026
• Geraldton (Northern Horizon Health Centre), May 29 – June 15, 2026
• Thunder Bay (location to be determined), June 27 – July 31, 2026
• Dryden (Dryden Regional Health Centre), August 8 – October 5, 2026

Patients due for screening in the surrounding communities are encouraged to travel to the Coach for their appointment. Travel grants are available for those travelling 100 kilometers or more to access screening services on the Coach.

“Our schedule looks different this year but the screening services that we provide and our ability to screen remains the same,” emphasizes McConnell. “With less time spent travelling, we will be able to screen more individuals this season.”

Who should get screened?

Anyone who is eligible for breast, cervical, or colon cancer screening can visit the Coach. In Ontario, screening guidelines for average-risk individuals include:

• Breast cancer screening: Women, Two-Spirit, Trans and non-binary people between the ages of 40 and 74 should have a mammogram every two years. Individuals aged 40 to 49 are eligible for breast screening on the Coach.
• Cervical cancer screening: Anyone with a cervix between the ages of 25 and 69 who has ever been sexually active should have a cervical screening test every five years.
• Colon cancer screening: Individuals between the ages of 50 and 74 with no first-degree family history of colon cancer should complete a take-home colon screening kit every two years.

Screening on the Coach is available at no cost for those with a valid OHIP card. A doctor or primary care practitioner’s referral is not required for average-risk individuals within the recommended screening age ranges.

“This schedule is a temporary approach for this year as plans for a new cancer screening bus are underway that will include a more robust destination schedule, with the goal to be operational in 2027,” continues McConnell. “We look forward to sharing more updates as the launch date approaches, and we thank the public for their patience and understanding as we do our best to make screening accessible for the region.”

Booking is now open for the Screen for Life Coach’s 2026 travel season. To book an appointment for breast, cervical, or colon cancer screening on the Coach in any of the hub communities, call (807) 684-7777. For more information about the Coach, including answers to frequently asked questions about this travel season, visit tbrhsc.net/screenforlife.