Victor Marchessault Advocacy Award

Throughout its history, what has made the Canadian Paediatric Society unique among similar organizations is its relentless advocacy to ensure that children and youth have access to the best possible care. 

The CPS established the Victor Marchessault Advocacy Award to honour individuals or organizations who have made outstanding contributions to Canada’s children and youth at the local, provincial, or national level. Presented every two years, this award recognizes the diverse ways that Canadians help make life better for children and youth.

The award is presented during the CPS Annual Conference. The recipient is awarded a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 prize. Recipients also receive a complimentary one year membership to the CPS. 

Awarded every other year, the next award will be presented in 2024.

Current recipient(s): Dr. Nicholas Chadi

Nicholas Chadi is a paediatrician specialized in Adolescent and Addiction medicine. He is currently a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal as well as a Clinical Research Scholar with the Fonds de recherche du Québec (Santé). Dr. Chadi obtained his medical degree at McGill University and completed subspecialty training in Adolescent Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children as well as a fellowship in global journalism at the Munk School of Global Affairs in Toronto. He later completed a Master of Public Health at Harvard University and was the first paediatrician in North America to complete a Paediatric Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Boston Children’s Hospital.

A strong advocate for child and youth mental health and wellbeing, Dr. Chadi is known as an expert in the field of youth vaping and has given more than 100 radio and television interviews. He is currently a member of the Health Canada expert advisory committee on vaping products and has led several research studies on vaping-related injuries and health risks. Dr Chadi is a co-author of the CPS position statement and practice point on smoking prevention and cessation and the lead author for the Canadian Paediatric Society and Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine position statements on youth vaping. 

Dr. Chadi has worked tirelessly to raise the alarm vaping-related illnesses and injuries in youth and is working on research projects to properly inform the medical community and policy makers. In Quebec, he was part of two memorandums to inform policy makers of the best way to support the rights and access to care for non-binary children and adolescents. In recognition of his advocacy work, Dr. Chadi is the 2022 recipient of the CPS Victor Marchessault Advocacy Award.

About Dr. Victor Marchessault

Many will remember Dr. Victor Marchessault as the leader of the CPS, where he served as Executive Vice-President from 1964 to 1997. Still others knew him as an infectious disease scholar and recall his skills and warmth as a clinician. An unwavering advocate for children and youth, his contributions to paediatrics in Canada were far-reaching. 

He established the CPS as a political force, with advocacy successes on issues such as vitamin D in milk, fluoride in water, seatbelts for children and safety caps on drug containers. He was also instrumental in the introduction of universal measles vaccination for infants in the late 1960s. 

Until his death in 2003, Dr. Marchessault was active in paediatrics, serving as Professor of Paediatrics and Infectious Diseases at the University of Ottawa and the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and as Chair of the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

Nominations

Nominees should be Canadian residents or not-for-profit Canadian organizations that have made an outstanding contribution to Canada’s children and youth through advocacy work, such as:

• Encouraging legislation that protects kids from harm;
• Making communities more active, safe, and child- and youth-friendly;
• Working to make communities more accessible for kids with special needs.

The Awards Committee will judge candidates based on the impact and scope of their advocacy work. 

Nominations must be formally resubmitted each year to be reconsidered. Current CPS board, Awards Committee, and Action Committee for Children and Teens (ACCT) members are not eligible for nomination and cannot nominate candidates while serving their terms.

Submissions

Submissions must include:

• A letter from the nominator clearly describing the specific contribution made by the nominee in the preceding five years, identifying the impact and scope of the advocacy work. Maximum three pages.
• For individuals, a curriculum vitae as well as any documents relating to their advocacy work (if appropriate).
• An organizational profile, including brief history, mission statement and objectives and board of directors.

Submit your nominations using the Submit Nomination button.

This award is sponsored by the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation.

Past recipients