Meet the 2025 Canadian Caregiving Awards of Excellence Winners! 

At this year’s Canadian Caregiving Summit Gala, we came together to honour the heart of our care ecosystem, the caregivers, care providers, and organizations whose compassion and commitment strengthen communities across the country.

It was a joy to recognize the recipients in each of the eight award categories, reflecting the incredible diversity and resilience that define Canada’s caregiving landscape.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners for their extraordinary leadership and care. And a heartfelt thank-you to everyone who took the time to nominate someone making a difference; your stories remind us how powerful care can be when we see, celebrate, and support one another.

Vickie Cammack Trailblazer Award

Named in memory of the co-founder of Planned Lifetime Advocacy Networks, the Vickie Cammack Trailblazer Award is awarded to a passionate individual who has demonstrated unwavering dedication to changing the landscape for caregivers and/or care providers in Canada.

Winner: Ron Beleno is a caregiver, advocate, and community leader whose experience caring for his father living with dementia for more than a decade continues to shape his work and inspire others. A passionate voice for dementia awareness, caregiving, aging, and technology innovation, Ron brings wisdom and compassion to everything he does.

He has served as co-chair of the advisory committee at AGE-WELL NCE and as an advisor to many organizations, including the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI) and CIHR’s Towards Healthy Brain Aging initiative — always championing approaches that keep dignity, connection, and lived experience at the heart of care.

Outstanding Achievement Award

The Outstanding Achievement Award recognizes an organization that makes an outstanding effort to raise awareness of the experiences and challenges of caregivers in Canada.

Winner: Founded by Bev Foster, MUSIC CARE by Room 217 is transforming the way we think about care through the power of music. The organization equips and empowers caregivers with the skills and confidence to bring music into care settings — creating moments of connection, comfort, and joy.

Since its inception, MUSIC CARE by Room 2017 has supported more than 7,000 caregivers across Canada, nurturing both those who give care and those who receive it.

Caregiver Advocacy Award

The Caregiver Advocacy Award recognizes an individual or group that has used their voice to advocate for caregivers in their local or national community.

Winner: Brenda Lenahan is a devoted caregiver to her son and the founder of the BC Complex Kids Society, a family-led, grassroots organization that amplifies the voices of families raising medically complex children.

Brenda has built a movement for change — one that not only connects and supports families but also drives meaningful change to improve systems of care. Her advocacy ensures that families navigating complex care are not just seen and heard, but that their experiences shape the policies that affect their lives.

Young Caregiver Advocate Award

The Young Caregiver Advocate Award recognizes a person or group demonstrating exceptional leadership in supporting the more than 1.25 million children and youth across Canada who provide care to family members.

Their work shines a light on the vital role young caregivers play in our communities, ensuring their voices are heard, their contributions recognized, and their well-being supported.

Winner: Rebekah Gold is a dedicated young caregiver to her parents and a powerful advocate for young caregivers across Canada. She is the co-founder of the Young Caregiver Council of Canada and serves as a Research Coordinator with the Young Caregivers Association.

As a PhD candidate, Rebekah’s research focuses on understanding and strengthening the supports available to young caregivers and their families. Through both her lived experience and her academic work, she is helping to shape a future where young caregivers are recognized, valued, and supported to thrive.

Care Provider Leadership Award

The Care Provider Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has shown remarkable dedication to the sector, in both the care they provide and creativity towards reforming the sector.

Winner: With more than 15 years of frontline experience supporting people with disabilities, Claudiane Coutu Arbour brings deep knowledge, compassion, and commitment to her work. She represents Francophone and Québec-based care providers in CCCE’s DSP Fellowship Programand is pursuing doctoral research focused on the well-being of those who provide care.

Through her leadership, Claudiane is elevating the voices of care providers and advance understanding of what sustains them in their vital roles.

Dr. Janet Fast Research Excellence Award

Renamed in memory of Dr. Janet Fast, whose academic research significantly deepened our shared understanding of caregiving in Canada, The Dr. Fast Research Excellence Award goes toperson or team whose academic achievements in research have supported our national understanding of the impacts of care. 

Winner: Dr. Janice Keefe is a leading voice in caregiving and aging in Canada. She serves as Chair of the Department of Aging and Family Science at Mount Saint Vincent University and as Director of the Nova Scotia Centre on Aging.

Her research has informed policies and practices that enhance the lives of older adults across the country. Through her work, Dr. Keefe combines rigorous scholarship with a genuine commitment to improving care and supporting the people who provide it.

Caregiver Community Organization Award

The Caregiver Community Organization Award is awarded to small organizations or grassroot groups that fills vital service gaps and supports the immediate needs of caregivers and care recipients in their communities.

Winner: Maskwacis Parents Place​

Maskwacis Parents Place provides culturally appropriate supports and services to Indigenous families living in Maskwacis, Alberta. This includes Indigenous early intervention supports and assistance with navigating complex health care systems. 

Winner: Sawubona Africentric Circle of Support

After struggling with a lack of support as Black caregivers to a child living with disability, Sherron and Clovis Grant founded the Sawubona Africentric Circle of Support. The organizationprovides a safe space and community for Black caregivers of individuals with disabilities to access resources and tools in their caregiving journey.

Innovation in Caregiver Programming

The Innovation in Caregiver Programming goes to a new program or initiative that shows outstanding innovation or creativity, resulting in positive impact for caregivers.

Winner: Essential Care Partner Support Hub, the Ontario Caregiver Organization. The Essential Care Partner Support Hub provides healthcare organizations across Ontario with the resources, tools and training needed to adopt caregiver-inclusive practises.  Since launching in March 2023, the program has connected with over 300 organizations.

Canadian Caregiving Awards of Excellence Committee 

The 2025 Canadian Caregiving Awards of Excellence were reviewed by a committee of volunteer members of CCCE’s advisory council and Canadian Caregiving Advisory Network (Caregivers CAN). We are grateful to everyone on the committee for their time and dedication to reviewing each nomination with care. 

Ann-Marie Binetti, Community Living Toronto

Elisabeth Catalano-Bon, Caregivers CAN

Orlena Broomes, Caregivers CAN

Zelda Freitas, CIUSSS West-Central Montreal, McGill University

Sherron Grant, Sawubona Africentric Circle of Support

Darrel Gregory, Caregivers Alberta

Charlene Nadalin, Caregivers CAN, Amintro Inc.

Katrina Love Prescott, Caregivers CAN

To avoid any conflict of interest, members of the Canadian Caregiving Awards of Excellence Committee did not participate in evaluating nominations for any category in which they were nominees or had submitted a nomination.