Visit to Toronto - CCA and CEO of the Year

The Governor General delivered remarks during the event that was held with the generosity of the SickKids Foundation: "Every Caring Canadian Award recipient has impressed me with their stories of giving. And so, I hope that you will share with others not only how you give, but also why you give."

The Governor General met with 10 university students from across Canada who received scholarships to further their education. These scholarships are funded by proceeds from the gala.

Later in the evening, His Excellency took part in the 25th Anniversary of Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year Gala at the Royal Ontario Museum. The Gala was honouring 2014 recipient Don Walker of Magna International Inc. Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year award program was founded to identify and recognize outstanding leadership and achievement by a Canadian Chief Executive Officer. From left to right: the Governor General, Mr. Walker's spouse Joan, Don Walker, John Wallace and Hugh L. MacKinnon.

Margaret and Ivan Stinson (Guelph, Ontario) have dedicated much of their time and energy to volunteer work and environmental causes. Mr. Stinson has served as a member of the environmental assessment advisory committee of the Grand River Conservation Authority, and is past-president of the Elora Lions Club, through which he has coached minors in local sports leagues. Upon retiring to Nova Scotia in 1989, Ivan and Margaret helped coordinate the development of the Burncoat Head Park, which subsequently received heritage designation.

The Governor General presented the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award to 19 volunteers from the Toronto region. Created in 1995, the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award recognizes living Canadians and permanent residents who have made a significant, sustained, unpaid contribution to their community, in Canada or abroad.

Iolanda Palumbo (Etobicoke, Ontario) refuses to be defined by her total vision loss. In addition to raising her son and caring for her aging parents, Yolanda devotes her time to her favourite charity, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). She fundraises for events like Vision of Hope, which provides community-based services to help blind and partially-sighted Canadians have the confidence, skills and opportunities to fully participate in life.

Myer Gordon (Toronto, Ontario) grew up in one of Montréal’s two Jewish orphanages. For more than 17 years, he has dedicated his time to organizing alumni reunions for the two homes as a way to keep in touch with his ‘brothers and sisters’ across Canada and the U.S. He has also been involved with the B’nai Brith Canada Lodge since 1969, and has volunteered with a number of community events, notably as the coordinator of the North York Winter Carnival for the first seven years of its existence.

Mike Duhacek (Milton, Ontario) is the creator of Help Me Bury Cancer, an awareness initiative launched in 2012. Mike raised over $43,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society by walking 900 km in the middle of winter from Windsor to Ottawa while pulling a 125-pound sled with the word ‘cancer’ on it. Since then Mike has given freely of his time to share his story and raise awareness at various Cancer Society events.

Alia Dharamsi (Vancouver, British Columbia) is a medical resident who is committed to empowering vulnerable and marginalized populations and to enhancing their quality of life. In 2009, she led a team of student volunteers to rural Guatemala where they taught oral hygiene, English and math to children, and worked on construction projects in collaboration with local communities. She volunteered for a number of years at Canuck Place Children's Hospice, where she assisted children in palliative care unit and their families. She is the creator of We Are 2015, an educational initiative geared at a new generation of global citizens committed to achieving the 2015 Millennium Development Goals.

" When men and women do this job well, when they bring not only great honour, but also great success to Canada, it is important to recognize and celebrate what they do."