Many health service providers, community groups and individuals work hard to improve access and equity to French language health services. The Réseau’s recognition awards are a way of thanking our partners for their contribution.
Individuals, providers, from Northern Ontario, including staff and Board members of the Réseau can submit a nomination for the Recognition Awards.
This award is given to a health service provider who makes considerable efforts to improve access and equity to French language health services.
This award is given to a community organization or educational institution that collaborates with the Réseau to improve the well-being of the Francophone community in Northern Ontario.
This new award recognizes the efforts and commitment of a community volunteer group or individual who has contributed to the vitality of the Francophone community.
Mathilde is a Franco-Ontarian woman who is very involved in the health care field in the Nipissing region. She saw her greatest wish come true in 2017 with the announcement of the construction of a hospice for the residents of the Nipissing and East Parry Sound region. In 2020 the Nipissing Serenity Hospice was born. The journey has been challenging on all levels, including the application for designation as a hospice. Although she has encountered strong resistance regarding the designation of the hospice, Mathilde continues to advocate for the importance of offering services in French. She will continue to work for the designation of the hospice because she believes in the importance of equitable service for Francophones in the region.
Congratulations!
NOSM University’s commitment to the Francophonie is ongoing and is reflected in the work being done on an equity and inclusion strategy. Over the past ten years, the University has made great strides in building a culture of equity and inclusion that aims to ensure the training of future physicians who are able to practice in Northern Ontario communities. Active offer is also an integral part of the University’s culture. The University recognizes that this is just the beginning and wishes to continue to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to Francophones and Northern communities.
Congratulations!
The Porcupine Health Unit has shown exemplary leadership during the pandemic. From the beginning of the pandemic, the Health Unit made sure to deliver its communications and publications in French. 73 members of their staff participated in the presentation on the importance of active offer and other staff have access to the recording of this presentation at any time and as of April 1st, 2022, this presentation is mandatory and part of the orientation for all new staff. Congratulations!
Through the use of social media, the AFRL was able to raise awareness about their organization and share information on their activities, not only in Red Lake but also in the North West. They have created a strong partnership with the community and the Francophone population. Congratulations to the members of the Association francophone de Red Lake for their engagement towards the Francophonie.
The ability of Centr’Elles to adapt during the pandemic, their collaboration with their partners and their continuous efforts to assist Francophone women and the most vulnerable had a positive impact on the Francophone community of Thunder Bay and the North-West. Congratulations to Rose Viel, Executive Director and her team. They were able to adapt quickly to the pandemic to reach Francophones.
The Canadian Association for Mental Health – Cochrane-Timiskaming Branch has demonstrated exemplary leadership by establishing a process where all their employees complete the active offer online training. 100% of the 120 employees have completed the training. Congratulations to Paul Jalbert, Executive Director and his team in making active offer of French language services a priority.
Jessica was the President of the Board of Directors of the Centre francophone de Sault-Ste-Marie from September 2017 to September 2020. She is recognized in the community by her hard work to promote the well-being and culture of Francophones and Francophiles in the region. Jessica is a young special education technician and teacher at École publique Écho-des-Rapides. She is also studying full time to obtain her bachelor’s degree in psychology. Jessica demonstrates real teamwork and initiative on matters related to the advancement of health of Francophones. Her openness has resulted in a solid partnership between the Centre Francophone and the Réseau.
Pioneer Manor is a long-term care home in Greater Sudbury that houses 433 permanent residents where the percentage of Francophone residents is approximately 30%. In partnership with other Francophone organizations in the region, the Réseau has worked closely with the Manoir on their “Je suis francophone/ I am francophone” project. Their best practices of French language services implemented through this project are often shared with other providers and are part of the Réseau’s awareness video series, will be featured in our future training modules and will also be posted in our best practices bank on our website. We recognize that the Manor is a leader in quality French language health services and we are delighted to work with them to improve access and equity of culturally appropriate care for Francophones.
Pierre Bélanger is a retired teacher and founding member of the Centre de santé communautaire francophone de Timmins. He has worked hard for over 30 years to bring the Centre de santé communautaire to the community of Timmins. He has made and continues to make a difference in the Francophone community in the Timmins region by seeing the needs and challenges in French health.
The recipient of the health service provider Recognition award is the Alzheimer Society Sudbury-Manitoulin North Bay & Districts. The Alzheimer Society has made considerable efforts to improve access and equity to French language services within their organization. Nearly 50% of their employees have French language skills. The board and all of their employees have completed the interactive online training on active offer and the latter is now part of the orientation of all new employees. They continue to work toward attaining their goals of improving French language services, while striving to meet their designation criteria.
The Community Recognition Award was presented to Monique Lapalme, a member of the Sudbury community. Ms. Lapalme has worked for many years in the Francophone community. She is a highly respected member of Francophone organizations, communities and health service providers in the Northeast. She has never ceased to believe in equitable access to French language health services and has continued throughout her career to innovate in order to encourage providers to serve their Francophone clientele well.
