GPSO
Grande Prairie Surgeons Office
Our General Surgeons

Dr. Marc Shaw
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from McMaster University in 1991, Dr. Shaw received his Medical Degree from the University of Ottawa in 1995. During his time at the University of Ottawa, he also entered their clinical research program and completed a second Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Sciences concurrent to his MD degree. Dr. Shaw went on to complete his training in General Surgery at Dalhousie University in 2000 and became a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada with a Specialty in General Surgery.
Dr. Shaw began his practice in 2000 in New Brunswick where he remained for 6 years before relocating to Grande Prairie, Alberta and joining the Department of Surgery at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in 2006. He was awarded a Certificate of Teaching Excellence in 2008 for his work with training residents and went on to be appointed a Clinical Lecturer with the Department of Surgery with the University of Edmonton in 2010; a position he has been re-appointed to every year since.
Dr. Shaw offers a wide variety of General Surgical services. Trained in advanced laparoscopic (minimally invasive or "key-hole") surgery, Dr. Shaw routinely performs laparoscopic biliary tract surgery like gallbladder removal, as well as open and laparoscopic colon and rectal surgeries. Other services offered include repair of hernias of all kinds; as well as diagnostic, therapeutic, and screening endoscopy of stomachs and bowels.
Since 2017, Dr. Shaw has pioneered the use of Oncoplastic Breast Surgery for the treatment of breast cancer. By combining plastic surgery techniques to minimize the cosmetic impact of breast cancer surgery, Dr. Shaw has sought to revolutionize breast cancer treatment in Northern Alberta and Northern British Columbia. Dr. Shaw was the first Surgeon in the region to offer these innovative techniques and remains the leader and driving force in its implementation for the benefit of breast cancer patients.
Never content to rest on his past achievements, starting in 2018, Dr. Shaw become the first Surgical Specialist to offer Dermoscopy to patients in the Outpatient Department. Utilizing polarized light to better differentiate between malignant (cancerous) and non-malignant (non-cancerous) skin lesions, Dr. Shaw is the only Surgical Specialist to offer this valuable service to patients in Northern Alberta and Northern British Columbia.
Additional information can be found at: www.doctormarcshaw.com

Dr. Peter Miles
Dr. Peter Miles completed his undergraduate training in Medicine at the University of Witwatersrand in 1987 after finishing a research degree in muscle transplantation. His internship was at the McCord’s Zulu Hospital in Natal and then he went on to start training in surgery before deciding to move to Canada. After completing a Diploma in Anaesthesia he moved to Alberta and completed his Canadian Fellowship in General Surgery at the University of Alberta in 2002. He then did a Fellowship in Surgical Endoscopy in London, Ontario before moving to Grande Prairie and setting up a stable group practice of surgeons providing a comprehensive range of general surgical and trauma care to Northern Alberta.
As a General Surgeon, Dr. Miles provides all aspects of General Surgical care, and enjoys head and neck and laparoscopic gastrointestinal surgery, including surgical treatment for cancer. He has initiated advanced videoscopic surgery programs at the QEII including ERCP for pancreas and biliary disorders, diagnostic bronchoscopy and recently endoscopic ultrasound. Providing expertise in wound care meant gaining advanced training in venous disorders and led to the development of an Accredited Vein Clinic offering comprehensive diagnosis and management of peripheral venous disorders.
The desire to provide surgical care to rural patients led Dr. Miles to become involved in teaching surgical residents from the University of Alberta and the development of a curriculum in Community Surgery. He has an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor in the UofA Department of Surgery and has an interest in developing and supporting accessible, high quality and accountable surgical care in Northern Alberta.
Personal interests include outdoor sports, hunting and flying.
Accepts referrals for emergent and elective care:
Biliary and pancreatic disease
Colon and rectal disease, inflammatory bowel diseases and cancers
Salivary gland, thyroid and parathyroid surgeries
Skin and breast disease
Gastric surgery including hiatus hernia repair and treatment for reflux.
Varicose vein disease

Dr. Richard Beekman
Dr Richard Beekman has been in the Peace Region for 10 years. He has done an undergraduate degree in chemistry at the University of Lethbridge, followed by a medical degree from the University of Edmonton in 2001. He obtained his FRCSC (Surgery) degree from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario in 2006. He enjoys the variety and acuity of rural surgical practice. His special interests include laparoscopy, oncology and acute care surgery. He continues to be active in education as an Assistant Clinical Professor with the University of Alberta as well as an ongoing ATLS instructor for rural Alberta. He served as Facility Chief of Surgery for a number of years and is currently the Deputy Facility Medical Director at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Grande Prairie. He has been a member of the Queen Elizabeth II foundation since 2011.
He has two children that are active in various sports and activities. He enjoys outdoor hobbies and resides on an acreage near Grande Prairie. He has interests in sailing and aviation.

Dr. Dereck Mok
Dr. Mok was born in Toronto, Ontario, and completed both his Doctor of Medicine degree with Honors in Research, and his General Surgery Residency at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. Through the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada Clinician Investigator Program, Dr. Mok completed a Master of Science degree in Experimental Surgery under the supervision of Dr. Gina Rayat and Dr. Ray Rajotte at the Alberta Diabetes Institute. Dr. Mok is the recipient of several research, clinical and teaching awards, including the George R. Graham Postgraduate Memorial Bursary, the Dr. Martin T. Spoor Memorial Award in Medicine, the R. E. Fraser Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the Grey Nuns Hospital Resident of the Year.
Since 2011, Dr. Mok’s general surgery practice is based at the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital in Grande Prairie; in addition, he travels to and provides endoscopic services in McLennan and High Level, Alberta. Dr. Mok maintains a comprehensive general surgery practice which includes:
-
Thyroid surgery
-
Breast surgery
-
Open and laparoscopic colorectal surgery
-
Laparoscopic gallbladder surgery
-
Open and laparoscopic hernia surgery
-
Ultrasound assessment, endovenous and surgical treatment of varicose veins
-
Diagnostic, therapeutic and screening endoscopy
Dr. Mok continually furthers his postgraduate medical training at the national and international level including: 2012 Alabama Vein and Vascular Center training course, 2012 Canadian Society of Phlebology Annual Conference, 2013 Mayo Clinic Multidisciplinary Breast Review, 2014 Alberta Association of General Surgeons Annual Meeting, 2014 American Congress of Phlebology, and 2015 University of Chicago Endoscopic Ultrasonography Live.
Dr. Mok is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Division of General Surgery at the University of Alberta. He is actively involved in teaching rural Family Medicine residents and rural General Surgery residents in Grande Prairie.

Dr. Ron St. Germaine
Dr. St. Germaine completed his undergraduate B.Sc. degree at the University of Ottawa in 1993. This was followed by medical school at the University of Alberta, completing his medical degree in 1997. He then finished a family medicine degree (CCFP) at the University of Alberta in 1999 and trained as a GP surgeon/obstetrician in Grande Prairie, Alberta until 2000. Having realized his true love was surgery, he returned to Edmonton for a formal surgical residency (FRCSC) which he completed in 2004. He has since worked as a staff surgeon at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Grande Prairie, Alberta.

Dr. Johan Bolton
Dr. Bolton completed his medical school at the University of Calgary, and then went on to complete a General Surgery residency at the University of Alberta, becoming a fellow of the Royal College in 2015. He was the inaugural resident to complete the community surgeon stream, spending his 3rd and 4th years of residency training with the surgeons here in Grande Prairie.
Dr. Bolton’s surgical interests and scope of practice are quite broad, including most areas of minimally invasive surgery.
He has a particular interest in oncology.
His practice also includes but is not limited to:
-
colorectal
-
upper gastrointestinal
-
breast
-
melanoma
-
thyroid
-
other head and neck pathology.
.jpg)
Dr. Jan Grendar
Dr. Grendar completed his medical school and started his training in hepatobiliary/pancreatic and transplant surgery in Slovakia, Europe. After immigrating to Canada, he completed his general surgery residency at the University of Calgary and master’s degree in medical education also at the University of Calgary. After obtaining his full FRCSC qualification he continued with a 2-year subspecialty fellowship training in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery through AHPBA accredited fellowship program in Portland, OR, USA. He then accepted a position in New Brunswick as a hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgeon with affiliation with both the Dalhousie University in Halifax and Memorial University in St. John’s, with formal appointments for both teaching and research in addition to the busy clinical practice.
Dr. Grendar’s wife, Petra, and their children lived in Calgary, where she had a busy practice as a radiation oncologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Center. Establishment of a new radiation oncology program at the new Grande Prairie Regional Hospital allowed the whole family to move to Grande Prairie and finally enjoy their lives together. This also enabled patients with complex surgical diseases of liver, pancreas and biliary system to access additional subspecialized assessment and treatment in Grande Prairie. This also allowed Dr. Grendar to broaden his practice to offer services needed in the Alberta North Zone. He completed additional fellowship program in ERCP through McMaster University in Hamilton as well as he is undergoing additional training in phlebology. In addition to his clinical practice, he is a member of the University of Alberta general surgery residency program committee, and he led the establishment of Multidisciplinary Tumor Board in Grande Prairie.