Louise has dedicated her professional life to improving the mental health of the people of her country.

Her referees told us that her forward-thinking leadership has resulted in the development of tools and leading practices that provide increased evidence informed eMental health supports to guide organizations and create new offerings for the community.

Louise was described as one of the few people—perhaps the only person—who truly understands the value, complexity and strategy required for scaling transformation towards a recovery oriented mental health system. Her own deeply personal experience with recovery has informed a leadership style that is both compassionate and courageous. She is also the kind of leader that innovators and visionaries depend on to support “out of the box” solutions in a collaborative and sustainable way.

We are not the only people who recognise her contributions. On top of her degrees from Dalhousie University and Northeastern University in Boston, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science from St. Mary’s University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Alberta. In June 2019, Louise was invested as a member of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest civilian honour, for her contributions to advancing mental health care for Canadians.

Our meritorious recipient is highly worthy of this award and we join her referees in congratulating her whole-heartedly.

*All details current as at the time of the award (November 2019)