Backgrouder: Canada’s Volunteer Awards

Canada’s Volunteer Awards
Through Canada’s Volunteer Awards, the Government of Canada is committed to recognizing the volunteer contributions that individuals, not-for-profit organizations, social enterprises and businesses make to their communities.

This year’s Canada’s Volunteer Awards Recipients
Complete biographies of the award recipients and more information on the not-for-profit organizations they have directed their grants towards can be found at Canada's Volunteer Awards.

Recognition package for recipients:
This year’s recipients noted above, nominated in 2019, have named the following not-for-profit organizations to receive grants on their behalf:

National award
TELUS Friendly Future Foundation

Regional awards

Business Leader
Atlantic – Fondation du Centre de Santé de Clare
Quebec – Centraide du Grand Montréal
Ontario – Volunteer Canada
Prairies – Calgary Youth Justice Society
British Columbia and the North – Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Science World Society

Emerging Leader
Atlantic – Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Big Brothers Big Sisters PEI
Quebec – Montreal General Hospital Foundation
Ontario – Sweatier For The Better
Prairies – Kids Help Phone
British Columbia and the North – The HOPE Initiative Foundation

Community Leader
Atlantic – Powerful Women of Hope Inc.
Quebec – Cœur + AVC (Fondation des maladies du cœur du Québec)
Ontario – Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre
Prairies – Street Worker’s Advocacy Project Regina Inc.
British Columbia and the North – KidsPlay Youth Foundation

Social Innovator
Atlantic – PAC Autism Nova Scotia Society
Quebec – GRIS-Montréal
Ontario – Chai Lifeline Canada
Prairies – Goodwill Industries of Alberta
British Columbia and the North – Yellowknife Breastfeeding Support Group

Launch of Call for Nominations for next year’s Canada’s Volunteer Awards
Nominations are being accepted in the following categories:

• one national award – Thérèse Casgrain Lifelong Achievement Award for individuals who have volunteered for at least 20 years;
• five regional awards – Emerging Leader for young volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30;
• five regional awards – Community Leader for individuals or groups of volunteers;
• five regional awards – Business Leader to recognize businesses and social enterprises; and
• five regional awards – Social Innovator to recognize the contributions of not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises.

The call for nominations will close on September 30, 2020. Visit Canada’s Volunteer Awards to find out how to nominate a volunteer, not-for-profit organization, social enterprise or business!

Selection process
Recipients are selected through a three-step assessment process:

1. Department officials screen nominations to ensure that they meet the eligibility criteria.
2. Regional reviewers (volunteer representatives from across the country) assess eligible nominations based on the assessment criteria. This year, more than 60 regional reviewers from across the country volunteered to review and rank top nominees, before providing them to the National Advisory Committee members to be further assessed.

A National Advisory Committee comprising up to 15 volunteer members from various regions across Canada assesses the top-ranked nominations and advises the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development on final decisions.

National Advisory Committee
About the National Advisory Committee Members:
The National Advisory Committee members advise and assist the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (Employment and Social Development Canada) on all matters relating to the selection of recipients for Canada’s Volunteer Awards. The selected members applied through an online process that was open to all Canadians from January 14, 2019 to March 1, 2019. All Committee members were chosen by the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development. Applicants were selected based on their contribution to the volunteer community and to reflect Canada’s cultural, linguistic and regional diversity.

Complete biographies of the National Advisory Committee can be found here.

National Advisory Committee:

• Donald Babey, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
• Amanda Bent, Shediac, New Brunswick
• Kaleb Dahlgren, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Christopher Dougherty, Calgary, Alberta
• Amani Hitimana, Toronto, Ontario
• Dr. Alis B. Kennedy, Woodbridge, Ontario
• Daniel Lanteigne, Montréal, Quebec
• Pierre Morrissette, Montréal, Quebec
• Darlene Nuqingaq, Iqaluit, Nunavut
• Rev. Deborah Olukoju, Winnipeg, Manitoba
• Buffy St-Amand, Calgary, Alberta
• Anne Xuan-Lan Nguyen, Montréal, Quebec