Jury  

Chair

Pierre Boivin, President and CEO, Claridge Inc. and AFP Award for Outstanding Volunteer (2012)

Members

  • Claude Breton, Vice-President, Public Affairs and Investor Relations, National Bank and AFP Award for Outstanding Corporation (2013)
  • Jacques Chartrand and Andrée Robert, AFP Award for Outstanding Volunteers (2014)
  • Sandra Chartrand, President, Fondation Sandra et Alain Bouchard and AFP Award for Outstanding Philanthropist (2015)
  • Ugo Dionne, President, Versalys and Co-Founder, Bénévoles d’affaires
  • Marjolaine Lachance, Sr. Manager, Community Investment and Communications, Bell Canada and AFP Award for Outstanding Corporation (2015)
  • Lorne Trottier, President, Matrox Electronic Systems and AFP Award for Outstanding Philanthropist(2013)
  • Fabrice Vil, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Pour 3 Points and AFP Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy (2015)
  • Marc Weinstein, Vice-Principal, University Advancement and Alumni Relations, McGill University and AFP Award for Outstanding Career in Philanthropy (2014)

Recipients

Special Tribute
Pierre Bruneau, Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau

Pierre Bruneau began his media career in 1972 and has been a TVA and LCN news anchor since 1976. A perennial public favourite, he holds no fewer than 18 Artis awards for best news anchor. He has received a number of accolades since 2002 for his outstanding community achievements, and in 2012, was named to the Order of Canada.

In 1990, following the death of his son Charles, Pierre joined ranks with families and friends of children with cancer to set up the Fondation Charles-Bruneau. Five years later, thanks to fundraising activities and generous support from partners, the Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau opened at the CHU Sainte-Justine. Every year, the Centre serves nearly 1,100 young cancer patients from across the province.

Today, the Fondation Centre de cancérologie Charles-Bruneau continues to invest in research and has facilities at all four of Quebec’s university hospitals providing pediatric oncology services: CHU Sainte-Justine, CHUS in Sherbrooke, CHU de Québec and the Montreal Children’s Hospital. As a result, all children with cancer in Quebec are now treated in one of the centres or units named after Charles Bruneau.

Since its inception, Pierre has been very involved with the foundation, taking part in the Tour CIBC Charles-Bruneau bike ride every year, for instance. He has also conquered Mount Kilimanjaro twice, climbed to the Everest Base Camp and the top of Machu Picchu, and hiked the Great Wall of China, in support of the foundation.

Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy – under 18 years old
Liana Adam, Ambassador, Opération Enfant Soleil

Liana Adam, 14, has undergone multiple procedures and treatments to manage her spinal muscular atrophy and osteopenia. But no matter how many challenges she has had to face, she has never allowed herself be defined by them. Instead, she taps into her go-getter attitude and her passion for music to help other children across the province cope with their own medical conditions.

This budding young singer has already released three albums, the proceeds of which have gone to Opération Enfant Soleil. Among her musical collaborators have been such well-known artists as Ima and Marc Dupré. As an ambassador for Opération Enfant Soleil, Liana has organized a number of fundraisers and lent her support to many more. Since 2013, she has raised $10,000 for the organization, including $3,386 during last year’s telethon.

Named the Montérégie region’s “Enfant Soleil” for 2014, Liana dedicates nearly 100 hours to the cause every year. Her cheerful disposition and indomitable spirit are truly inspirational, and her goal for next spring is to hold a benefit concert. Opération Enfant Soleil and the people around her are as proud of everything she has accomplished as they are touched by her caring and compassionate nature. A very bright future indeed lies ahead of this young philanthropist.

Award for Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy – 18-35 years old
Samuel Fleurent Beauchemin, Fondation le pont vers l’autonomie

Samuel Fleurent Beauchemin, 26, created the Le pont vers l’autonomie foundation in 2013, inspired by his brother Guillaume’s valiant struggle with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The original goal was to raise $50,000 to purchase a robotic arm for Guillaume, to help with his daily tasks and improve his overall quality of life. Tragically, he passed away in 2014, only two weeks after the device was acquired. Samuel nevertheless vowed to continue his efforts and reach out to other people living with severe mobility limitations.

During his three years of volunteering for the foundation, Samuel successfully increased public awareness and rallied tens of thousands of supporters to the cause. Thanks to his leadership skills and his nose-to-the-grindstone perseverance, the foundation has brought in over $450,000 through dozens of fundraisers, and has been able to deliver a total of nine robotic arms.

In 2016, Samuel completed a certificate in philanthropic management at the Université de Montréal. In January, the foundation’s board appointed him to the position of executive director to allow him to devote his full time and attention to the cause. The target for this year’s annual appeal – $500,000 – Is the most ambitious one to date. Between now and 2020, the foundation aims to provide 20 mobility-impaired persons a year with a life-changing robotic arm.

Award for Outstanding Corporation – fewer than 250 employees
Vigilant

Vigilant truly embodies the mantra of giving across all three of its most precious resources: time, talent and treasure! With a healthy focus on the work-life balance of its 150 employees and a strong top-down encouragement of their philanthropy, Vigilant is truly making a difference for youth, education and technology causes in Quebec. The Company believes that providing a participative platform for social responsibility enriches the experience of living and working in Montréal.

Vigilant’s direct financial gifts make a world of difference for many organizations, particularly those serving youth. For example, in the past year alone, the Company supported The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro), Kids Code Jeunesse, Robotique First Québec, Youth Fusion and Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.

As an IT and R&D company focused on cutting-edge technology, Vigilant also has a substantial in-kind giving program. In the past year alone, it provided founding support to The Neuro so that researchers can build the first-ever 3D chemical atlas of the brain. The Company also donated microwave radio equipment to the Pearson Electrotechnology Centre in Lachine so that students will have access to a radio communications course not available at any other educational institution in Canada.

Vigilant firmly believes in supporting employee volunteerism. In addition to giving employees 40 hours a year of paid volunteer time to support local organizations of their choice, the Company itself organizes volunteer activities, both of which add up to thousands of volunteer hours. A few examples:

  • Twice a year since 2009, Vigilant brings its employees to help build houses in and around Montréal with Habitat for Humanity.
  • A team of 23 raised over $60,000 for the Segal Cancer Centre at the Jewish General Hospital by joining the 2016 Enbridge® Ride to Conquer Cancer®, an effort in which the Company has participated for five years.
  • For four years now, employees have participated in the Goal Montréal soccer tournament to support local communities through such organizations as the Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre.
  • Staff also contribute thousands of food items, toys and household items to CTV’s Spirit of Giving campaign, which collects care packages for families in need.
  • During the RBC Challenge, employees trekked up Place Ville Marie’s 41 flights of stairs for Centraide of Greater Montreal.

Award for Outstanding Corporation – 250 or more employees
Canderel

It all began in 1989 when Canderel launched the now famous Défi Canderel. Once a year, dozens of corporate and other teams run through downtown Montréal to raise money for cancer research. The tremendously successful Défi has been able to direct over $12 million to McGill University’s Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Research Centre and the Université de Montréal’s Institut du cancer de Montréal, becoming an important source of funding for cutting-edge cancer research in Montréal.

The Goodman Cancer Research Centre’s partnership with the Défi Canderel has become a cornerstone of its strategy to pursue excellence in cancer research. Funds raised by the Défi have contributed directly to high-risk, high-payoff research projects, where preliminary data is leveraged to secure competitive grants. The Défi’s support has also enabled the Centre to recruit faculty members with dynamic research programs, and to provide stipends to attract and support top graduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Funds from the Défi have supported 15 Innovative Research Awards, 483 Canderel Travel Awards that enable researchers to travel to national and international conferences to present findings, 105 student scholarships, and 42 post-doctoral fellowships.

The Défi has also been the single longest supporter of the Institut du cancer de Montréal, where it has aided research and funded Canderel Scholarships and Excellence Scholarships. Since 1989, millions of dollars have been invested in these bursaries, supporting the efforts of young researchers. In addition, and thanks to other donations made by Canderel, the institute is able to offer scholarships for top students, grants for innovative research, and funds to purchase state-of-the art equipment at the Université de Montréal’s hospital research centre.

In 2005, the Défi Canderel was awarded the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce’s Spirit of Leadership Community Award for its longstanding dedication to uniting communities to raise funds for cancer research. The Défi’s success lies in its ability to engage individuals and corporations, prompting them to invest annually in cancer research. For many companies and employees, the Défi Canderel has become a “must-not-miss” event, and many teams can point to more than a decade of participation. The most recent Défi included over 1,000 runners, many dressed as superheroes. Runners solicit their own sponsors, so the network of philanthropy includes many thousands of individuals and raises not only money for cancer research, but also awareness of the efforts carried out at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre and the Institut du cancer de Montréal. Each year this network of philanthropy widens, with donations rising steadily and regularly passing the $1 million mark in recent years.

The Défi Canderel epitomizes Canderel’s commitment to giving back to the community, a commitment that stems directly from the Company’s founder, chairman and CEO Jonathan Wener’s view of a life well lived. Passionately supportive of the arts, education and healthcare, Wener has helped fund and has personally supported – as president, co-chair or member – numerous hospital boards, community organizations, foundations and research centres. He has served as president of the Montreal Jewish General Hospital and is currently vice-president of its Board of Governors and a member of its Executive Committee. He has also served on the boards of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, the Festival des arts de Saint-Sauveur, the Segal Centre for Performing Arts and the Fraser Institute. In January 2015, he was appointed Chancellor of Concordia University, his alma mater.

Award for Outstanding Philanthropist
Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation

The Marcelle and Jean Coutu Foundation shares the same core philosophy as the Jean Coutu Group, one that is profoundly human and family-centric. One of the largest family foundations in Canada, it embraces endeavours that strive to make a real and lasting difference in their respective communities.

The Foundation has supported a number of organizations in Quebec and around the world that work with vulnerable children and their families, economically disadvantaged communities, people living with substance addictions, and women and children of abuse. Internationally, the Foundation has reached out to villages in India, Haiti, Pakistan and Mali to help meet the basic needs of local families.

On the home front, the Foundation has provided significant assistance to a wide range of causes in Quebec, with funding for numerous initiatives, studies and research chairs that focus on empowerment and extended family support.

The Foundation’s values and mission guide all of its philanthropic efforts as it works closely with charities and financial partners to maximize the impact of its donations, and cultivates long-term change. In so doing, the Foundation aspires to foster caring communities where people come together to provide a helping hand – and even a friend – to those in need.

Award for Outstanding Volunteer
John A. Rae

For 15 years (2001-2016), John A. Rae chaired the McGill University Health Centre’s (MUHCBest Care for Life Campaign, a partnership of the constituent foundations of the MUHC. He was intimately involved in developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to achieve the Campaign’s $300 million goal – the largest and most ambitious fundraising campaign in the MUHC’s history.  
 
John A. Rae’s remarkable leadership and dedication was the driving force behind the Campaign’s success. He dedicated countless hours to each and every phase of the Campaign and was able to build one of the most respected groups of volunteer cabinet members ever. The Campaign was able to secure many multi-million dollar donations, a number of which were the largest in the respective companies’ history.  Together with his wife Phyllis, they made two very significant personal pledges to the Campaign.

John A. Rae regularly shared his valuable experience and insight with both the MUHC Foundation staff and the Campaign Cabinet and inspired many volunteers to remain involved with the Foundation following the completion of the Campaign. Many are regular donors to the Foundation. He has also helped the Foundation build even stronger relationships with the Montreal community, in particular, with the city’s corporate philanthropic leaders, which has facilitated the Foundation’s ability to continue to engage in other fundraising activities with these leaders, in support of the MUHC.

His work played a pivotal role in helping the constituent foundations meet the MUHC’s greatest needs and has helped to revolutionize and revitalize medicine in Montreal. The Campaign supported the MUHC’s redevelopment project – the construction of a new state-of-the-art hospital as well as renovations to existing hospitals. This critical project allowed the MUHC to unite pediatric and adult care, as well as research, on a single site – a first in Canada – and has helped the MUHC transform the manner in which it delivers care in the community. Furthermore, thanks to the cutting-edge equipment purchased from funds raised by the Campaign, the MUHC can also now deliver faster diagnoses and testing. He also worked closely with the Fondation du Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) on the Joint Corporate Campaign, a division of The Best Care for Life Campaign, which supported the construction of both the new MUHC and CHUM hospitals. 
 
John A. Rae is Executive Vice-President, Power Corporation of Canada. In addition to being a long-time supporter of the MUHC Foundation, he and his wife have supported many other causes including the Montreal Heart Institute and Queen’s University, where he was past Chair of the Board of Trustees and a Campaign Cabinet member.

Award for Outstanding Career in Philanthropy
Lucie Rémillard

Lucie Rémillard has made her mark on the non-profit community, not only in Quebec but also on a global scale. Her impressive list of achievements includes stints with the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, Centraide of Greater Montreal, the Montreal Neurological Institute, the CHU Sainte-Justine Foundation and the American Hospital of Paris. While working in France, she headed up the creation of United Way Tocqueville France, the first United Way in Western Europe, and was one of 12 international leaders who advised United Way Worldwide in its expansion efforts abroad. She continued to build on this momentum upon her subsequent return to Canada, serving as a strategic development advisor for large-scale charities at the local, national and international level.

Lucie Rémillard has raised the bar when it comes to philanthropic commitment in Quebec. From early on in her career, she has generously shared her expertise and promoted the highest standards of practice and governance in philanthropy. She spearheaded the creation of the Quebec Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and has played an active part in developing the profession, both in Canada and in France. She is a mentor for her fellow fundraisers and an inspiration to others to give back to their community as best they can.

Jury’s Special Choice
Joan Ivory, Volunteer, McGill University

Joan Ivory is a vigorous advocate of education, the arts and healthcare in Montreal. Her volunteer history spans more than 55 years – well over 30,000 hours of her time and energy. She has given generously of her resources, drawing on her experience within a wide network of institutions, and is a remarkable example of volunteerism at its finest.

She made her first gift to her alma mater McGill University in 1954 – the year she graduated – and has given almost every year thereafter. Always responsive to its needs and priorities, she has donated both time and money to programs and activities across McGill, with a special focus on medicine and music, where she has distinguished herself as one of the University’s most loyal advocates and supporters. 

Joan Ivory has served on the boards of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and the MUHC Foundation, as well as the boards of the Royal Victoria Hospital, the Montreal Chest Institute (MCI), and the MCI Foundation which she chaired. With the MUHC and the MUHC Foundation boards, she helped lead fundraising initiatives (Best Care for Life Campaign, more specifically, the Glen development project) in support of healthcare research and application, and the training of young healthcare professionals. She made a profound impact on the MUHC through her work on quality and risk management. As Chair of the MCI Foundation, she advocated for equipment, supported the MCI’s transition during its merger with the Royal Victoria, helped improve patient care, supported the capital campaign and led the MCI centennial celebrations.

Joan Ivory was also active on the boards of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the National Ballet of Canada, the Canadian International Organ Competition, PBS Quebec, and The Study School Foundation. She has been a longtime member of the Schulich School of Music’s Faculty Advisory Board where she was the driving force behind the School’s successful and ongoing Instrument Bank project, after learning that the McGill Symphony Orchestra could not play certain compositions because they did not have the necessary instruments. As director of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ Volunteer Association Travel Committee, she creatively used her vast network of contacts to become an innovator of a cultural travel program for members, thereby extending and enriching the Museum’s reputation and renown. She remains an active member of the MMFA’s Acquisition Committee for Non-Canadian Art prior to 1900.

In recognition of her generous service and her capacity to motivate others, the McGill Alumni Association presented Joan Ivory with the E. P. Taylor Award in 2008 and the Distinguished Service Award in 2016. Her committed volunteerism has also been recognized with the Museum Volunteer Award from the Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums and the Canadian Museums Association. She has also won the Sheila and Victor Goldbloom Distinguished Community Service Award and, in 2014, was named a Member of the Order of Canada.