HPCO honours individuals and organizations that provide or support excellent hospice palliative care in Ontario. Awards and Scholarships are presented annually at HPCO’s conference. Awards are an opportunity for you to nominate a colleague for recognition of their outstanding work. Please refer to the nomination criteria for each award.
Past recipients of HPCO awards are listed here.
Awards of Recognition
The Richard R. Walker Visionary Award
The Richard R. Walker Visionary Award recognizes significant and exceptional contributions advancing the hospice palliative care movement. The award is named in honour of Richard Walker, known as “Dick” to his family and friends. Dick was the founding chairman of the Community Hospice Association of Ontario, which became Hospice Association of Ontario, one of the predecessors of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. Mr. Walker passed away in October 2009. The Richard R. Walker Visionary Award is bestowed by the Board of Directors of HPCO occasionally, when merited, to an individual or organization that has, through their actions, made a significant and exceptional contribution to advance the hospice palliative care movement in Ontario. Nominees for this award are selected by the Board of Directors of HPCO.
The Dorothy Ley Award of Excellence in Hospice Palliative Care
The late Dorothy Ley was one of Canada’s first champions for quality care at the end-of-life. She brought a unique individuality to the hospice and palliative care field and maintained a highly visible and vocal presence during her distinguished career until she died in 1994. Dr. Ley was a pioneer, breaking new ground in medicine and health care in general. The Dorothy Ley Award of Excellence, established in 1996 by the Ontario Palliative Care Association, now Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, is a perennial reminder of her great legacy. The award is presented annually in recognition of an individual or team effort to advance and improve the quality of palliative and end-of-life care.
Nominations are open from February 5 to April 30
Submit a Dorothy Ley Award Nomination
The Dr. S. Lawrence Librach Award for Palliative Medicine in the Community
This award honours Dr. Larry Librach, who began his medical career in 1970. He became an early presence in palliative care in 1978 and shaped the Canadian approach to palliative care and palliative medicine. Throughout his 35 years in palliative care, Dr. Librach was a teacher and mentor, an encouraging and enthusiastic colleague and friend who embraced every opportunity to give of himself and who consistently inspired others to do the same. The $2,500 cash award is bestowed annually to a physician who demonstrates excellence and leadership in palliative care and advances palliative care in their communities through the mentorship of family physicians.
Nominations are open from February 5 to April 30
Submit a Dr. Lawrence S. Librach Award Nomination
Award of Excellence in Paediatric Palliative Care
This award recognizes individual excellence, innovation, leadership and outstanding contributions to pediatric hospice and palliative care. Awarded biennially to coincide with the biennial Pediatric Palliative Care Symposium.
Nominations will open in February 2026
Outstanding Philanthropist Award
The Outstanding Philanthropist Award recognizes individuals or families; or corporations, foundations, civic and service organizations which have demonstrated exceptional generosity and outstanding civic and philanthropic leadership dedicated to advancing hospice palliative care in their community, or throughout Ontario.
While the financial support offered by these philanthropists is so important to hospice palliative care charities, the encouragement and validation of our efforts by philanthropists also means so much to the people that work in hospice palliative care. Philanthropists indeed are the “unsung heroes” of hospice palliative care in Ontario.
Nominations are open from February 5 to April 30
Mount Pleasant Group Hospice Innovation Award
In recognition of the constant innovation, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario has partnered with the Mount Pleasant Group to offer the Mount Pleasant Group Hospice Innovation Award. This award is open to any hospice located in the Province of Ontario.
Nominations are open from February 5 to April 30
Nominate/Apply for the Mount Pleasant Group Hospice Innovation Award
Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario has partnered with the Mount Pleasant Group to offer the Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award. This award recognizes existing or new hospice-led initiatives that have improved access to hospice palliative care services for equity-deserving communities. This award is open to any hospice located in the Province of Ontario for initiatives created in partnership and/or with involvement from an equity-deserving group, a community organization and/or a research institution that has expertise in the targeted equity-deserving community.
Nominations for 2025 are now closed
June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers
The June Callwood Award was established in 1994 by the Hospice Association of Ontario, now Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, to acknowledge and thank outstanding hospice volunteers throughout Ontario. The award was named in honour of the late June Callwood, the Award Patron, and long time advocate of hospice, community activist, author and recipient of the Order of Canada. June was the inaugural recipient of of award since then, 1,085 hospice volunteers have been inducted into the Circle of Outstanding Volunteers. Volunteers are special people – a view strongly held by Ms. Callwood and expressed by her on many occasions, during interviews on TV and radio, remarks at annual conferences, and through her writing. Her book, Twelve Weeks in Spring, captured the spirit of hospice and emphasized the importance of the many and varied contributions of a team of volunteers. In all her years as a journalist, author, broadcaster and humanitarian, June Callwood’s name became synonymous with integrity, talent and passion for social justice. She has touched the lives of generations of Canadians by giving that passion expression through her words and through her work in the service of those in need.
Nominations are open from February 5 to April 2
Scholarships
The Life and Death Matters Personal Support Worker Hospice Palliative Care Scholarship
(Sponsored by Life and Death Matters)
This scholarship is given annually to a Personal Support Worker nominated for excellence in hospice palliative care. It celebrates Frances Montgomery and her commitment to caring for the dying within her family and extended community. This scholarship acknowledges the invaluable contribution of Personal Support Workers in providing excellent care for the dying, supporting families and loved ones, and helping to move quality hospice palliative care forward in Ontario.
The scholarship provides full registration and accommodations at HPCO’s annual conference in June, and a modest cash prize. The bursary is non-transferable, awarded as a package, and may not be broken into parts or cashed out.
Applications are open from February 5 to April 30
Bursaries
As part of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario’s commitment to improving inclusion and eliminating barriers for Black and Indigenous people working in hospice palliative care, we offer a number of bursaries to our annual Hospice Palliative Care Ontario conference. Applications are encouraged from Nurses, Social Workers, Social Services Workers, or Personal Support Workers working in or with an interest in hospice palliative care in Ontario.
Dr. Joan Lesmond Bursary for Black Healthcare Workers
The Dr. Joan Lesmond Bursary honours the memory and legacy of our friend, colleague, and former Board member. Joan served on the HPCO Board of Directors from 2004 to 2011. Joan was a nurse, educator, mentor, and lifelong learner. In recognition of Joan’s commitment to life-long learning, mentorship, and community-based hospice palliative care, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario established the Joan Lesmond Scholarship in 2011. The scholarship has evolved into the Dr. Joan Lesmond Bursary program.
The Joan Lesmond Bursary for Black Healthcare Workers is part of HPCO’s commitment to improving inclusion and eliminating barriers for Black healthcare workers. The bursary provides full registration and accommodations at HPCO’s annual conference in June. The bursary is non-transferable, awarded as a package, and may not be broken into parts or cashed out.
Dr. Joan Lesmond Bursary Criteria
Applications are open from February 5 to April 30
Apply for a Dr. Joan Lesmond Bursary
HPCO’s Indigenous Healthcare Bursary
Indigenous communities have rich traditions of healing practices that emphasize holistic well-being. These practices often integrate health’s physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects. Traditional healers play a crucial role in Indigenous communities and use traditional medicines, ceremonies, and spiritual guidance to promote balance and well-being. Colonization and racism imposed many barriers to Indigenous peoples’ accessing quality health care and practicing their traditional medicine. These barriers must be eliminated. HPCO strives for a future where every person in Ontario can access quality hospice palliative care and this means equitable access to hospice palliative care for and by Indigenous communities. Equitable access must also empower Indigenous people and communities to have more say in their health services, address health disparities faced by Indigenous peoples, and provide learning opportunities to Indigenous healthcare workers.
HPCO offers an Indigenous Healthcare Worker Bursary as part of our commitment to improving inclusion and eliminating barriers for Indigenous people working in hospice palliative care. The bursary provides full registration and accommodations at HPCO’s annual conference in June. The bursary is awarded as a package and may not be broken into parts or cashed out, and is non-transferable
Indigenous Health Care Worker Bursary Criteria
Applications are open from February 5 to May 15