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Trailblazers for Culture Change Awards

Coast-to-coast initiatives that are changing the culture of aging in Canada

The Trailblazers for Culture Change Awards recognize changemakers across Canada who are contributing to changing the culture of aging through initiatives, programs, or day-to-day practice — any individual, team, or organization involved in senior care or support across the continuum of care, such as long-term care homes, retirement homes, day programs, community centres, and other programs encouraging engagement in the community.

A black and white photo of people at a table, one raising her hand, in a green and blue frame

Nominations for the 2024 Trailblazers for Culture Change Awards are now closed. The recipients and nominees below were recognized at the Walk With Me 2024 conference.

Top Trailblazers 2024

Kim Schmidt

Kim Schmidt — iGen Program

The Grade 6 Intergenerational Program (iGen) is a unique partnership between the Sherbrooke Community Centre long-term care home and the Saskatoon Public School Division grade 6 class. The first program of its kind in Canada, it has been running for 10 years. Students spend the school year learning in various parts of the home and creating relationships with residents that nourish the mind, body, and spirit of all — challenging stereotypes, building empathy, and enhancing personal growth for both students and residents.

Kim Schmidt — iGen Program

The Grade 6 Intergenerational Program (iGen) is a unique partnership between the Sherbrooke Community Centre (a long-term care facility that follows the Eden Alternative® Philosophy of Care) and the Saskatoon Public School Division grade 6 class. Students spend the school year learning in various parts of the home and interacting with residents in meaningful ways. The students learn important life lessons centred on empathy, compassion, and respect from their relationships with the residents, and provide energy, joy, and spontaneity to the community. The home is thrilled to see residents continuing to grow and pursue their passions through these relationships. This is the only program of its kind in North America and is inspiring long-term care homes and schools worldwide.

Mary Beth Wighton and Dawn Baxter

Mary Beth Wighton and Dawn Baxter

Mary Beth, a person living with dementia, and her life partner, Dawn Baxter, have transformed their personal journey of caring for and living with dementia into a powerful advocacy mission. They openly share their experiences in speaking engagements, dementia-inclusive roundtables and advisory boards, research, dementia-related education and service-development projects, and as part of the Behavioural Supports Ontario team — helping to shape a more compassionate and informed society that embraces and supports individuals living with dementia.

Mary Beth Wighton and Dawn Baxter

Since being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, Mary Beth has transformed her personal journey into a powerful advocacy mission. She is a founding member and chair of the Ontario Dementia Advisory Group (ODAG) and Dementia Advocacy Canada, where she plays a pivotal role in shaping dementia-related policies and initiatives. Her life partner, Dawn Baxter, also a passionate advocate, shares her insights as a care partner. Together they serve as Lived Experience Co-Facilitators within the Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) team.

Over the years, the dynamic duo’s involvement in speaking engagements, dementia-inclusive roundtables and advisory boards, research, dementia-related education and service-development projects, and the BSO team exemplifies their dedication to creating impactful change within the healthcare landscape. Their advocacy journey is a testament to their resilience and a source of inspiration for the broader community.

Carole Estabrooks

Carole Estabrooks — Translating Research in Elder Care

Carole Estabrooks is a health services researcher and Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation in the care of older adults. She is the Scientific Director and co-founder of the pan-Canadian longitudinal research program Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC), whose mission is to develop sustainable, practical solutions and tools to improve the quality of care provided to older adults, enrich the work life of their caregivers, and enhance effectiveness in residential long-term care. In recognition of her dedication, she has received several distinctions, including the Order of Canada (2016).

Carole Estabrooks — Translating Research in Elder Care

Carole Estabrooks is a health services researcher and Canada Research Chair in Knowledge Translation in the care of older adults. She is the Scientific Director of the pan-Canadian, longitudinal research program Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC). TREC’s mission is to develop sustainable, practical solutions and tools to improve the quality of care provided to older adults, enrich the work life of their caregivers, and enhance effectiveness in residential long-term care. TREC consists of an international, interdisciplinary group of approximately 50 researchers and over 20 trainees from across Canada, the US, and Europe, collaborating with 30+ highly engaged policymakers and a renowned international scientific advisory committee. Carole and Dr. Janice Keefe co-founded a partnership with VOICES (Voices of Individuals, Family and Friend Care Givers Educating us) that integrates the perspectives of those served by the LTC sector into the research team.

Ruth Watkiss

Ruth Watkiss — Music Therapist

Ruth Watkiss has been a full-time music therapist at Alzheimer Society Peel (ASP) for twenty years, helping clients, team members, and community members live life to the fullest through music. She has created initiatives from an intergenerational program with high-school students to a partnership with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Ruth helped ASP become the first Music Care Certified organization in Canada and trained over 20 team members in integrating and sustaining music across the organization.

Ruth Watkiss — Music Therapist

Ruth Watkiss has been a full-time music therapist at Alzheimer Society Peel (ASP) for twenty years. She helps everyone live life to the fullest with music and keeps the wider community connected to ASP clients. She has engaged high schools for intergenerational music programming and partnered with Toronto Symphony musicians to tackle social isolation in the wake of COVID-19. Her team also engaged in a research project to optimize the soundscape in four different care sites.

Ruth had a vision of equipping her team with musical skills. Through her oversight and support, ASP has trained over 20 staff in Music Care Training and become the first Music Care Certified organization in Canada — certified GOLD, the highest achievement in the program. Ruth hopes to expand this expertise from community services to BSO services, training even more workers. All of these initiatives highlight how Ruth is a culture-change agent within ASP and beyond.

Bryce McBain

Bryce McBain — General Manager

Bryce has an innate enthusiasm for people, no matter their age, and he inspires his team to look at each resident as someone with goals, dreams, and ambitions — some grand and some modest, but all worthy of attention. Bryce and his fellow leaders encourage the village team to balance acceptable risk to support residents making the most of every day. A culture where residents’ life choices are honoured and celebrated is the foundation of village life — from mechanical bull rides and hot-air balloon rides to camping trips and even skydiving.

Bryce McBain — General Manager

Bryce and his fellow leaders encourage the village team to balance acceptable risk to support residents making the most of every day. There are countless examples where that autonomy thrives: they helped a resident with limited mobility from a stroke experience his dream to ride a mechanical bull, and have taken residents on hot-air balloon rides, annual camping trips, tobogganing, and wall-climbing — all experiences fuelled by resident desires. Most recently, a resident living with advanced multiple sclerosis was able to check skydiving off her dream list.

One resident shared that Bryce is one of a kind — passionate about his job, bringing smiles and laughter to all, and always with his door open. Bryce and his team continue to challenge stereotypical views of aging and focus on residents living life to the fullest.

Nominee recognition

Tracy Bablitz

Intergenerational Activity Patio – CCS

Dr. Katherine Chubbs

The Good Samaritan Mentorship Program, & Being & Belonging Model of Care

Breann Hall

Home and Community Care

Punnapa Hartley

Heritage Night — Diversity Appreciation & Talent Show

Jane Hu

Cycling Without Age Canada (CWA)

Tamara Jankura

Neighbourhood Coordinator

Rachel Jeffery

HJ McFarland Memorial Home

Shauna Kessler

Youth Connections Program — Kipnes Centre for Veterans

Metzie Lacroix

Director of Clinical Service; leader of their Palliative Approach program

Lynn Lake

The Village of Riverside Glen

John Patrick Maglalang

CHOICE South

Angela Malcolm

The John M. Parrott Centre

Rachid Marrakchi

Actionmarguerite End-of-Life Team

Danielle Preston

The Club

Margaret Russell

Film & Lunch program

Dana Schnepf

Director of Care, Citadel Care Centre

Narine Dat Sookram

Social Work Project Manager, Private Practice

About the Trailblazers Awards

What recipients receive

Top 5

  • Recognition at a national conference: featured as a Top 5 Trailblazer for Culture Change at the conference (May 1–3, 2024, in Ottawa) and on the Walk With Me 2024 conference website.
  • Complimentary conference registration (for one person if submitting as a team).
  • Complimentary ticket to the evening dinner event at the National Arts Centre.
  • Certificate of Recognition of their “Top 5” achievement.

Eligible nominees

  • Recognition at a national conference: mentioned as an award nominee at the conference and on the Walk With Me 2024 website.
  • Certificate of Recognition congratulating the person or team on their nomination.
Eligibility criteria

Applications should exemplify at least one of the culture-change values:

  • Demonstrate that the personhood of individuals within the program/service is a high-level priority.
  • Outline how individuals maintain primary authority over their lives, and how personal choices are respected and supported.
  • Demonstrate how living life to the fullest is a major component of the service or program.
  • Show how accessible and enabling environments, and continued engagement and connection in community, are supported.
  • Show how the body, mind, and spirit of each person is nourished.
  • Demonstrate how close relationships and authentic partnerships involving collaborative decision-making are at the core of the service or program.
  • Indicate how care partners have the knowledge, skills, resources, authority, and accountability to provide respectful, flexible, and life-affirming care and support.

Examples: an educational program supporting relational, person-centred care; an individual or team exemplifying authentic partnerships with older adults; communities working together to share knowledge and make decisions; organizations offering resources that support older adults to live life to the fullest; or the creation of accessible and enabling environments or systems of support.

Application process

Applications must include:

  • Name and contact information (phone and/or email) of the nominator.
  • Name and contact information of the nominee (one person to represent the award — include organization, job title, city, province).
  • A description (500 words maximum) of the program/initiative/practice, how the nominee exemplifies at least one culture-change value, and its positive impact in the community.
  • One letter of support from a client, care partner, or others within the aging community sector.
  • Declaration that the nominator has permission from the nominee, and that the details are accurate.
  • Consent to share the information publicly on the Walk With Me website, in social media, and/or at the conference.
  • Declaration that the person, program, or organization is in good public standing with a positive reputation in the community.
  • Links to more information about the program/initiative/practice, if applicable.

Walk With Me is pleased to accommodate individual needs in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA). For accommodation at any time, contact carrie.briscoe@the-ria.ca.

Selection criteria

A person, program, or organization must be in good public standing with a positive reputation in the community. Applications are assessed on whether they:

  • Demonstrate alignment with at least one culture-change value.
  • Address a concern related to the culture of aging.
  • Describe the initiative in detail (who, what, where, when, why).
  • Provide evidence of active engagement of older adults.
  • Show how the initiative is “trailblazing” — an inspiring, forward-thinking idea new to the aging community sector and/or to their region.
  • Show how the initiative will sustain and make a positive impact over time.
  • Are presented with quality, clarity, and thoughtfulness.
  • Include one letter of support from a client, care partner, or others with experience in aging communities.

Self-nominations are not considered. Up to five applications are chosen as the Top 5 Trailblazers for Culture Change; all eligible nominees are recognized. The selection committee is composed of members of the 2024 Walk With Me Conference Partnership and Advisory committee — culture-change champions from across Canada, including residents, family members, providers, associations, and partners.

Questions? Contact carrie.briscoe@the-ria.ca.

Sponsored by

Barrie Strafford — Silver Trailblazer sponsor