Awarded on: 2001-11-13
Raynald Beauchemin, Île des Soeurs, Quebec (posthumous)
Governor General's Caring Canadian Award
Raynald Beauchemin, a member of the board of directors of the Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal since 1977, was a man committed and dedicated to the cause of frail seniors, to whom he gave thousands of hours of his time on a volunteer basis. Mr. Beauchemin attended all meetings organized by patients and their families, thoroughly studying every issue with the goal of supporting services for seniors. It was thanks to his perseverance and immense generosity that an ordinary centre for senior patients eventually became a specialized university institute. As a result, the seniors in his community are now better understood, respected and treated.