2017 Nominees & Recipients
Person of the Year
Kathy Willis, Recipient
Youth of the Year
Theodore Pearson, Recipient
Positive Business
Camel Trails, Recipient
Positive Community Organization
OSMH, Recipient
Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital (OSMH)
Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital is located in Orillia, and serves more than 440,000 residents in North Simcoe Muskoka. OSMH provides a comprehensive range of programs and services, including medical, surgical and emergency care, dialysis, obstetrical and paediatric care, mental health and rehabilitation services. In March 2014 OSMH created the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) Taskforce for individuals interested in developing a welcoming, safe, nurturing and accepting organization for the LGBT community in North Simcoe Muskoka. As a symbol of the hospital's continued support and ongoing growth, a rainbow banner is permanently fixed outside of OSMH's Emergency Entrance. |
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH)
RVH provides safe, high-quality care for residents of Simcoe and Muskoka. As the largest health centre in the region, RVH provides highly specialized services, procedures and technology not found anywhere else in the region. This includes the only Interventional Radiology suites for minimally invasive surgeries, a fully-automated laboratory, cardiac care (intensive) unit, as well as dedicated trauma rooms in its large emergency department. Our team of more than 385 skilled physicians, 2,500 caring staff members and 800 dedicated volunteers provide outstanding patient-centred care. Every moment of every day, the care and safety of patients comes first as TEAM RVH delivers the care needed to live our vision and Make each life better. Together. RVH is committed to recognizing the diversity and unique needs of our patients and their families, as well as engaging and supporting our staff, physicians, volunteers and students in achieving their best through a healthy respectful workplace. RVH’s diversity and inclusion council has a mandate is to ensure the health centre is an inclusive, safe place to work, receive care, or visit. To accomplish this, the council has a three-pronged approach which includes Education, Advocacy and Celebration. |
Positive Community
CFB Borden, Recipient

CFB Borden / BFC Borden
Canadian Forces Base Borden (CFB Borden) is located in the heart of Simcoe County and comprises 21,000 acres of land, including a 6,000-acre training area and approximately 460 buildings. On average, CFB Borden trains 15,000 military personnel annually, and employs approximately 3,250 military members and 1,500 civilians.
Under the direction of Colonel Liam McGarry, Commander of CFB Borden, a base LGBTQ2SA Network was formed in the summer of 2016. The Network was formed to provide a support for those military members and civilians who live and/or work at the CFB Borden. The Base Administration Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel David Grebstad, was named the Base Champion for LBGTQ2SA Issues and Captain John Niles was appointed as the Network’s Chairperson. The Network’s first order of business was to reach out to members of the community and coordinate with them and Fierté Simcoe Pride (FSP) the first official Pride Flag Raising at CFB Borden during FSP in 2016.
Since that time The Network has had representatives speak on diversity and creating a positive and safe place for LGBTQ2SA military members to all of the Senior Non-commissioned Officers at CFB Borden. The Network has been involved in discussions led by LCol Grebstad in developing more inclusive toilet and change room signage, and members have provided advice to the Department of National Defence’s Directorate of Human Rights and Diversity in Ottawa on Transgender issues.
Full bio can be read here.
Canadian Forces Base Borden (CFB Borden) is located in the heart of Simcoe County and comprises 21,000 acres of land, including a 6,000-acre training area and approximately 460 buildings. On average, CFB Borden trains 15,000 military personnel annually, and employs approximately 3,250 military members and 1,500 civilians.
Under the direction of Colonel Liam McGarry, Commander of CFB Borden, a base LGBTQ2SA Network was formed in the summer of 2016. The Network was formed to provide a support for those military members and civilians who live and/or work at the CFB Borden. The Base Administration Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel David Grebstad, was named the Base Champion for LBGTQ2SA Issues and Captain John Niles was appointed as the Network’s Chairperson. The Network’s first order of business was to reach out to members of the community and coordinate with them and Fierté Simcoe Pride (FSP) the first official Pride Flag Raising at CFB Borden during FSP in 2016.
Since that time The Network has had representatives speak on diversity and creating a positive and safe place for LGBTQ2SA military members to all of the Senior Non-commissioned Officers at CFB Borden. The Network has been involved in discussions led by LCol Grebstad in developing more inclusive toilet and change room signage, and members have provided advice to the Department of National Defence’s Directorate of Human Rights and Diversity in Ottawa on Transgender issues.
Full bio can be read here.
Township of Tiny / Canton de Tiny
Tiny is an environmentally focused diverse family of communities providing an economically sustainable and healthy lifestyle. Their picturesque Township is located in the Southern Georgian Bay area and boasts some of the most beautiful trails and beaches in the region. They are a culturally diverse community with a strong Francophone influence which adds to their rich heritage. Tiny's population is approximately 11,240, but as a popular destination for tourism and cottagers, sees their population double to approximately 20,000 over the summer months. Tiny is home to the Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area; Ontario's first provincially owned and managed wetland. It offers visitors year-round use of 600 hectares of marsh and 300 hectares of field and forest. Residents and visitors can also take advantage of Awenda Provincial Park, set on the beautiful shores of Georgian Bay, for camping, hiking, and cross-country skiing. In 2015, Tiny's Council proactively changed its policy regarding flag raisings and proclamations to make way for the Pride and various other community groups. Mayor Cornell and Members of Council have actively participated in Pride and various other educational events to engage with the LGBT community. |
City of Barrie
The City of Barrie is home to nearly 145,000 residents and is a large urban centre the Simcoe region. The City of Barrie is a welcoming and progressive community that has been moving forward economically, environmentally, and socially; continuing to strive for better for all residents. Led by Mayor Jeff Lehman and Council, the City of Barrie has proclaimed “Pride Week” and hosted a flag raising every year since 2011. The City continues to support the annual pride week parade and activities. The City of Barrie was one of the very first Canadian municipalities to formally recognize and we continue each November to raise the flag for the Transgender Day of Remembrance. The City of Barrie’s police force, Barrie Police Service, works very hard to ensure that they are an inclusive and responsible force, and that all residents feel safe and protected. The City is and will continue to be a community for all. |
Honourary Award for Literature (Recipients)
Ma-Nee Chacaby
Two-Spirit Journey is Ma-Nee Chacaby’s extraordinary account of her life as an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian. From her early, often harrowing memories of life and abuse in a remote Ojibwa community riven by poverty and alcoholism, Chacaby’s story is one of enduring and ultimately overcoming the social, economic, and health legacies of colonialism. As a child, Chacaby learned spiritual and cultural traditions from her Cree grandmother and trapping, hunting, and bush survival skills from her Ojibwa stepfather. She also suffered physical and sexual abuse by different adults, and in her teen years became alcoholic herself. At twenty, Chacaby moved to Thunder Bay with her children to escape an abusive marriage. Abuse, compounded by racism, continued, but Chacaby found supports to help herself and others. Over the following decades, she achieved sobriety; trained and worked as an alcoholism counsellor; raised her children and fostered many others; learned to live with visual impairment; and came out as a lesbian. In 2013, Chacaby led the first gay pride parade in Thunder Bay. Ma-Nee Chacaby has emerged from hardship grounded in faith, compassion, humour, and resilience. Her memoir provides unprecedented insights into the challenges still faced by many Indigenous people. Ma-Nee Chacaby is a Two-Spirit Ojibwa-Cree Elder. She was raised by her Cree grandmother in a remote Ojibwa community near Lake Nipigon, Ontario. To purchase a copy of Ma-Nee's book, A Two-Spirit Journey, visit the University of Manitoba Press. |
S. Bear Bergman
Bear is an award-winning writer, educator and storyteller who has authored six books and also founded Flamingo Rampant, a children’s press focused on feminist, LGBTQ-positive, racially-diverse children’s books. His most recent book for grownups (Blood, Marriage, Wine, & Glitter) made several Best Of lists and was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award. Bergman is a much loved speaker and storyteller at universities and festivals alike, because his signature blend of wit and warmth brings all the people to the yard (regardless of their sex designation, gender identity, or gender expression) (which he would like to remind you are not the same thing). Learn more about Bear and his projects at sbearbergman.com and flamingorampant.com. |