Perry R. W. Kendall, C.M., O.B.C.
Victoria, British Columbia
Perry Kendall has dedicated his life to improving the health and well-being of vulnerable Canadians in need. His career in public health spanned almost five decades, culminating in his role as British Columbia’s longest-serving provincial health officer. A steadfast advocate for harm reduction, he founded Insite, the first legal supervised injection site in North America, and convinced the government to declare the province’s opioid crisis a public health emergency. His tenure was equally marked by the respectful and significant partnerships he established with the BC First Nations Health Authority.