International Volunteer Year 2026 Canada

Jim appears on screen in a home, speaking directly to the camera.
Jim: People wonder, how can you do that kind of work?

Onscreen: A hand holding another hand affectionately. Scene fades to a hospital hallway with two medical practitioners in conversation and a person walking. Scene fades to an image of Jim holding the hands of a nurse practitioner.

Jim: But it seems natural to me at this point in my life. I am seventy-seven.

Back to Jim speaking to the camera.

Onscreen, the logo for the Canada's Volunteer Awards appears-a striped, multicoloured maple leaf with a figure inside-and the text: Canada's Volunteer Awards, Jim Mulcahy, Thérèse Casgrain Lifelong Achievement Award 2024 Special Mention.

Jim: I'm living with my third cancer. I'm aware increasingly of the finitude of life. I'm also still interested in honouring people, in recognizing people. Only at this time, it's in a different stage in their life. It's when they're actively dying.

Scene fades to a set of hands reaching out to hold another set of hands. Fades to a man seated on a hospital bed, looking out the window.

Jim: I find when I think about why I volunteer and why I ask myself, how did I come to be like this?

Back to Jim speaking to the camera: In one way or another, whether it was teaching, whether it was sometimes coaching, whether it was writing plays, I've ended up in circumstances where there have been people that I've been sensitive to in terms of needs, primarily in terms of social, emotional need within the teaching domain.

Onscreen: Students entering a classroom. Fades to a group of students seated at a table with their teacher, listening to the teacher talk. Fades to a hallway in a college with a row of lockers.

Back to Jim speaking to the camera.

That career in the high school and in the junior high came to an abrupt end for me with my second cancer diagnosis. At the same time, my wife had been diagnosed with Huntington's and three of my four adult kids were diagnosed with the same horrendous illness.

And at that time, I began to, because I was in the hospital frequently, become interested in volunteering in the field of health.

Scene fades to a hospital with medical practitioners in a hallway. Fades to a person in a wheelchair being wheeled by someone, while Jim continues speaking. Fades to a nurse talking to a patient.

The hospital authorities came and invited me to be part of this group of managers and to design a play that would present the concerns around mental health theatrically.

Back to Jim speaking to the camera.

Shortly thereafter, I was diagnosed with my third cancer. And at that point, I wandered into the palliative care unit, which was adjacent to the chemo clinic and wondered if perhaps I could volunteer there.

Scene fades to a hand taking hold of another hand, while Jim continues speaking. Fades to a man watching a loved one in a hospital bed.

And that's what I've been doing for the last three or four years-volunteering in the chemo as well as receiving chemo, but primarily volunteering in the palliative care unit.

Onscreen: A woman in a hospital bed; someone reaches out to hold her hand.

I belong to a community of caregivers in the hospital and in the chemo clinic,

Back to Jim speaking to the camera.

which makes me feel valued. And that's one of the things that we all need, to feel valued. Even at my age, and in my illness, I still can contribute something of benefit to others. Mostly just by listening. No magic. Just by listening and attending and giving your time. That doesn't make a difference in the news that night. It doesn't make a difference in terms of our challenges internationally and nationally, but it makes a difference for that person that you listen to that day.

This is what I can still do to make this country, to make this world, to make that one person in that bed have a better day. That would be my invitation to anybody who might watch this video, is that, you know, to enter this world of service with your skills and your knowledge and your passion and make the world a better place.

The screen fades to blue and red. The logo for the Canada's Volunteer Awards appears-a striped, multicoloured maple leaf with a figure inside. Text on screen reads Canada's Volunteer Awards, Canada.ca/cva-recipient-2024.

The screen fades to black and the logo for the UN International Volunteer Year 2026 appears-the letters I, V and Y shaped like a hand with the year 2026 below.

Canada wordmark appears in white.

Onscreen: images from the harbour of Iqaluit; close-up on someone cutting fish with an ulu-a traditional, crescent-shaped cutting tool used by Inuit peoples; outside, someone riding a snowmobile.

Scene fades to Udlu sitting in a home, speaking directly to the camera: I think especially for this award to be awarded to somebody here in Nunavut, it really helps to highlight what's happening in Nunavut.

Onscreen, the logo for the Canada Volunteer Awards appears, a striped, multi-colour maple leaf with a figure inside, and the text Canada's Volunteer Awards, Udloriak Hanson, Thérèse Casgrain Lifelong Achievement Award 2024 Recipient.

Image fades to a group photo of members of the Annauma Community Foundation, in front of a screen showing two other members. Image fades to a picture of Udlu in front of a microphone, speaking at an event.

Udlu: Annauma Community Foundation is a community foundation. It's the first in Nunavut.

Onscreen: two members of the Annauma Community Foundation sitting on either side of a screen that shows 3 other members.

Onscreen, a display of beadwork collars. Image fades back to Udlu speaking to the camera.

Udlu: The obvious impacts that we've seen, is providing support to community people, community organizations, nonprofits, and charitable organizations here in Iqaluit and in Nunavut.

Image fades to outside, a group of people in a snowy environment, with snowmobiles, standing beside shelters, speaking to each other.

Udlu voice-over: There are caring southern Canadians that want to help the North,

Back to Udlu inside speaking to the camera

Udlu: want to provide support to the North, and there was no real charitable means to do it, no medium. So, with a community foundation, we really created a bridge between the South and our Northern community partners.

Switch to outside, view from within a car, driving through Iqaluit, buildings on either side of the road.

There are many that have inspired me, but quite honestly, of course, my mother and father.

Back to Udlu inside speaking to the camera

Udlu: During snowstorms, mom and dad would get all bundled up. And they would drive around the community to make sure the people had what they needed--tea bags, you know. And it was just… it was something we grew up with, and it started to translate into things, like my mother used to take me to visit elders, you learn a lot from elders, obviously, visiting with elders about what the community needs, what needs what kind of support, people need, from a very, you know, essential place, a really grounded place.

Outside, the image closes in on the bay with a parked snowmobile and sledge in the foreground beside a rock, and buildings in the background to the left side. Fades to inside a community meeting, people sitting in chairs and standing, talking.

Udlu voice-over: To me, it's not just, you know, an award that's been awarded to me.

Image fades to a young woman speaking to a child.

Udlu voice-over: It's my family and those around me that have been able to …

Back to Udlu inside speaking to the camera

to help me do what I want to do…And, so I think it's, if there's any reason for a recognition that's really to recognize them and the important work that everybody does here to ensure that we have healthy, vibrant communities.

The screen fades to blue and red. The logo for the Canada Volunteer Awards appears, a striped, multi-colour maple leaf with a figure inside; text on screen Canada's Volunteer Awards, Canada.ca/cva-recipient-2024

The screen fades to black and the logo for the UN International Volunteer Year 2026 appears, a hand stylized from the letters I, V and Y, with the year 2026 below.

Canada wordmark appears in white.