Awards - Canadian Association of the Deaf - Association des Sourds du Canada

King Charles III Coronation Medal

CAD-ASC Announces Recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medal – Ottawa, Ontario, February 13, 2025.

CAD-ASC is honoured to announce the names of 25 distinguished Canadians from the Deaf community who have been awarded the prestigious King Charles III Coronation Medal. This accolade recognizes their exceptional contributions and unwavering dedication to their communities and to Canada.

The recipients were meticulously selected by a dedicated committee chaired by Louis Belleau, who expressed profound admiration for the honorees’ achievements and their significant impact on the Deaf community.

Recipients of the King Charles III Coronation Medal:

1. Dr. Jessica Dunkley – Canada’s first and only Deaf doctor. As a Métis woman, she bridges many communities through ASL workshops, advocacy, through her virtual clinics for Deaf patients.
2. John Warren – A leader in the Deaf community for over 30 years. He was a litigant in the Supreme Court Eldridge case ensuring interpreting rights for Deaf Canadians..
3. Mr. Donald McCarthy – With over 40 years of volunteer service, he has led multiple Deaf organizations, strengthening support for Deaf communities across Canada.
4. Kyle Badree – A leader in trades and Deaf advocacy, Kyle Badree, president of Alberta Association of the Deaf, champions equality and unity for Deaf Canadians.
5. Dawn Jani Birley – Award-winning actor and advocate Dawn Jani Birley pioneers Deaf-led theatre, promoting diversity and inclusion through groundbreaking performances.
6. Shawna Joynt – The first Indigenous President of the Canadian Association of the Deaf, advocates for diversity, language rights, and youth empowerment.
7. Doug Momotiuk – Has championed accessibility and ASL rights throughout his life, supporting organizations such as Manitoba Association of the Deaf and Canadian Association of the Deaf.
8. Aidan Godin – Founder of Canada’s first Women’s Deaf Hockey Team, is a passionate advocate for accessibility, Deaf, and transgender rights.
9. Denise DeShaw – A leader in Ontario’s Deaf community. She has supported cultural initiatives and inspired students as an ASL professor at Carleton University for over 15 years.
10. Mr. Darryl John Hackett – A lifelong Deaf leader in Newfoundland and Ontario, has championed accessible healthcare and Deaf sports organizations.
11. Dr. Kristin Snoddon – A Deaf scholar at Toronto Metropolitan University. Researches sign language and early literacy to support the development of ASL curricula and inclusive education.
12. Dr. Clifton Carbin – Canada’s leading Deaf historian author and former CAD-ASC president, has preserved Deaf heritage and advanced bilingual education.
13. Dr. Jenelle Rouse – Canada’s first Black Deaf Ph.D., is an educator, researcher, and artist advocating for sign language access and Deaf education.
14. Farouk Bouanane – Director of the Centre Jules-Léger, the only French/LSQ school outside of Quebec. A leader in inclusive education for students with hearing and visual impairments.
15. James D. Roots – CAD-ASC’s first Executive Director for 36 years. Instrumental in shaping Deaf rights policies and promoting sign language recognition across Canada.
16. Elio Riggillo – a George Brown College instructor and deafblind advocate, empowers others through intervention services and leadership training.
17. Mr. David Joseph – A multilingual Deaf leader David Joseph advances accessibility as Chair of the Canadian Administrative VRS board.
18. Cynthia Benoit – A Deaf entrepreneur and founder of Eversa, built her deaf-led consulting firm, and created many job opportunities for Deaf, Deaf-Blind, and hard of hearing professionals across Canada.
19. Suzanne Laforest – Former Executive Director of SIVET and current CEO and ED of Canadian Administrator of VRS, she has strengthened access to communication through decades of work and advocacy .
20. Sheila Johnson – Chair of the Wabanaki Disabilities Council, promotes Indigenous Sign Language and amplifies Indigenous disability stories.
21. Frank O Sullivan – A Deaf Irish immigrant and former executive director of SDHHNS, has long advocated for accessibility in Nova Scotia.
22. James McDermott – an ASL and Maritimes Sign Language instructor, preserves Deaf history, art and culture, notably narrating Halifax Explosion: The Deaf Experience.
23. Carter Churchill – Born in 2011, won a landmark human rights case that set a precedent for Deaf education in Newfoundland and Canada.
24. Dr. Debra Russell – An educator and international leader, has advanced sign language interpreting through research, training, and advocacy.
25. Paul Bourcier – An LSQ educator and co-editor of key LSQ dictionaries, pioneered interpretation services for post-secondary institutions in Quebec.

Louis Belleau, Chair of the CAD-ASC selection committee, stated, “We are immensely proud to recognize these 25 individuals who have made significant contributions to the Deaf community and beyond. Their dedication and achievements exemplify the spirit of service and excellence that the King Charles III Coronation Medal represents.”

The King Charles III Coronation Medal was established to commemorate the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and is awarded to Canadians who have made remarkable contributions to their communities. The medal features His Majesty King Charles III and serves as a symbol of honor and recognition.

Arthur Hazlitt Leadership Award

The Arthur Hazlitt Leadership Award recognizes Deaf persons who have provided outstanding leadership in the Deaf community over a period of at least ten years, at the national, provincial, or local level.The name of this award honours Arthur Hazlitt, who, in addition to many years of service to the CAD, set an excellent example of a leader at the national, provincial, and local levels over a period of more than ten years.

1970 Eugene Fowler
1972 Bill Bain
1974 Forrest Nickerson
1976 Maureen Baskerville
1978 (No winner)
1980 Guy LeBoeuf
1982 Dorothy Beam
1984 Ronald Fee
1986 David Mason
1987 Arthur Hazlitt
1989 Charmaine Muise
1992 Leanor Vlug
1994 Gladys Doyle
1996 Lawrence Grant
1998 Bruce Koskie
2000 Arthur LeBlanc
2002 David Murison
2004 (No winner)
2006 Jules Desrosiers
2008 Grant Underschultz
2010 Yvon Mantha
2015 Lisa Anderson-Kellett
2024 Jonathan Guinta

Award of Merit

The Award of Merit was established by the Canadian Association of the Deaf to recognize any person (Deaf or non-Deaf) who has made significant contributions to the well-being of Deaf persons in Canada.

1970 Emmett Casey
1972 Rev. Bob Rumball
1974 Graeme Wallace
1976 Sister Olivia Fiola
1978 Denis Morrice
1980 Sue Paquette
1982 Rev. Robert Bauer
1984 Bob Lucyk
1986 Jamie McDougall
1987 Gordon Ryall
1989 Bruce Jack
1992 Bonnie Dubienski
1994 Gordon Hein
1996 Myles Murphy
1998 Jolanta Lapiak
2000 Henry Vlug
2002 (No winner)
2004 Laverne Foster
2006 (Award discontinued)

Canadian Association of the Deaf – Hall of Fame

The Canadian Association of the Deaf Hall of Fame was founded by members of the CAD Board of Directors in 1991 to recognize Life Members and outstanding individual contributions to the CAD.

1992 Keir McLean
1994 David Peikoff Robert McBrien
1996 Marshall Wick Joseph Rosnick
1998 Howard Lloyd Donald Kidd
2000 Henry Vlug Eleanor McPeake
2002 David Mason
2004 (No inductees)
2006 Len Mitchell Bruce Jack
2008 Arthur Hazlitt
2010 Phyllis Watson
2021 Doug Momotiuk
2023 Jim Roots

The Diversity Award

The Diversity Award recognizes individuals or groups that have promoted and supported diversity in the Deaf community. “Diversity” is understood to mean the inclusion and equality of Deaf persons of varying races, religions, ethnic background, disabilities, genders, ages, languages, and so on.

2006 Association des gais et lesbiennes sourds
2008 Ontario Association of the Deaf
2010 (No winner)
2015 Global Deaf Muslim Canada
2023 BC Hummingbird Society of the Deaf

The Henry Vlug Award

The Henry Vlug Award is presented for political, legal, or advocacy action that has significantly increased the equality of Deaf Canadians. This should be for a single action, e.g., winning a legal case, but it could also be given for a lifetime of this kind of achievement. It is open to Deaf or hearing nominees.
The Henry Vlug Award is named in honour of Henry Vlug, Q.C., for his many successes in political, legal, and advocacy efforts to increase equality. These successes include actions that resulted in full captioning of television programming, provision of Sign language interpreters in post-secondary institutions, and accessibility in court proceedings.

2006 Henry Vlug
2008 Linda Cundy
2010 Gary Malkowski
2015 Christine Roschaert
2023 Kimberly & Todd Churchill

The Marshall Wick Award

The Marshall Wick Award recognizes achievement in the field of Deaf education. This could be for excellence in teaching, or for outstanding research work on Deaf education, or for activism in keeping a Deaf school open. It is open to Deaf or hearing nominees.
The name of this award honours Dr. E. Marshall Wick for his decades of devotion to the cause of Deaf education, both in Canada and in the United States, particularly his role in expanding the Canadian Deaf Education Fund in the 1970s and 1980s.

2006 Joanne Cripps
2008 David Mason
2010 Michel Lelievre
2015 Kristin Snoddon
2024 Jonathan MacDonald

The Deaf Youth Role-Model Award

The Deaf Youth Role-Model Award is chosen by youth members to honour people whom they admire as role models for young Deaf Canadians. It is open to Deaf nominees only. The award may be given to recognize any Deaf person whom Deaf Youths identify as a positive and inspiring role-model in any field, including advocacy, education, personal development, employment, organization, media, sports, technology, and so on.

2006 Alice Dulude
2008 Evelyne Gounetenzi
2010 (No winner)
2015 Leanne Gallant
2024 Paula MacDonald