Our team

Dr. Newhouse

Dr. Kelly Newhouse

Optometrist

Dr. Newhouse hails from Kamloops, BC, she holds a BSc from UBC as well as a Doctorate in Optometry from the University of Waterloo. She joined the office in 2009 to get to know the Nelson patients and to allow Dr. Tim Allen to ease into retirement.

Dr. Newhouse enjoys travelling. In the past she has volunteered at the Sankara Eye Hospital in Coimbatore, India; joined a Unite for Sight trip to Ghana, as well as a VOSH trip to Haiti. She also lived for a period in Australia and Germany.

Dr. Newhouse was happy to settle and put down her roots here in Nelson. She loves the small town feel and the proximity to the mountain and lake lifestyle. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband and two (energetic) children.

Dr. Newhouse

Dr. Jordan Yurchevich

Optometrist

Dr. Jordan Yurchevich was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. He attended St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Kinetics before pursuing his Doctorate in Optometry from the University of Waterloo. After graduating from the Optometry program, Dr. Yurchevich practiced in Fort St. John, BC for several years before relocating to the Kootenays in 2018.

Outside of the office, Dr. Yurchevich enjoys spending time with his family, playing squash, and taking in the beautiful outdoors through camping, hiking, skiing and snowshoeing.

Tobbi

Tobbi

Senior Optometric Assistant

Tobbi has been an optometric assistant for over 35 years. A Nelson native, Tobbi has family history in Nelson's eye and vision care, being daughter and granddaughter of previous local optometrists Ivan and Jack Laughton. After working in Vancouver for many years, Tobbi moved back to the Kootenays and has been a valued employee with Nelson Family Eyecare since 2006.

Her expertise includes dealing with complicated prescriptions, frame selections, contact lens training and diagnostic testing equipment.

Tobbi's free time is spent with her family, reading, sports and currently continuing her education. Her warm personality and technical skills are a welcome asset to the clinic.

Zoe

Zoe

Senior Optometric Assistant

Zoe is one of our optometric assistants who has been with our clinic for over 10 years. She was born and raised in the Slocan Valley and loves the surrounding area.

Zoe has completed the optometric assistant course and her technical skills and attention to detail keep the office running smoothly. Whether it's choosing your new glasses and lens options, eyeglass adjustments, repairs, contact lens work or much more, she is here to help!

Married with two dogs, Zoe spends her spare time with family and friends playing video games, watching movies, and exploring the outdoors.

Amanda

Amanda

Optometric Assistant

Amanda is also a Kootenay native and has worked as an optometric assistant since 2010.

She took a few years break from full time eyecare to spend time raising her young son and working in her family's business. When she returned to the Nelson family Eyecare team, patients and workmates were thrilled to have her calm, positive personality and expertise return to the office.

In her spare time she enjoys spending time with her son and family.

Pam

Pam

Optometric Assistant

Originally from rural Alberta, Pam came to Nelson to continue her education. With a degree in Health and Physical Education, she loves learning about health and the body.

She joined our team in 2022. Pam is eagerly learning about all things optical. She loves working with kids and getting to know patients at the clinic. Her professional, kind demeanor is now a fixture at the office.

When Pam is not in the office, you can find her exploring all around Nelson, gardening, or working on a variety of craft projects. She enjoys skiing, hiking, and rock climbing in the Kootenays and the community that comes with it.

Taye

Taye

Optometric Assistant

Taye grew up in Red Deer, Alberta and spent a few years in Kamloops, BC when she was younger.

The mountains called her back in 2020 where she joined the Nelson Family Eyecare team. With her, she brought two years experience at an eyecare office with a special interest in contact lenses. Taye’s caring and warm personality shines through every day as she is always ready to put in extra effort to help our patients out.

In her spare time, Taye enjoys trail running, hiking, biking, kayaking, watching movies and spending time with her cat, Sly. She also loves listening to music and is learning to play the piano.

Jasmine

Jasmine

Optometric Assistant

Jasmine was born and raised in and around Nelson, BC. She spent some time living in the Rockies and the Fraser Valley before returning home to Nelson 15 years ago. One of our newest team members, Jasmine’s passion for helping others, quick learning and kindness have made her an instant valued member of the team.

In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, fiber art, reading, and camping with her husband and two children.