Our Honourary Ambassadors

marie

Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, PhD, ICD.D

Highly Regarded Child Advocate

Dr. Bountrogianni is an advocate for life-long learning and entrepreneurship. Marie was the first Ontario Minister of Children, Community and Social Services where she oversaw the origins of the “Best Start” program. Her key achievements include authoring and championing the “Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act” (AODA), which established Ontario as a world leader in accessibility. Marie also authored “Partnering for Prosperity”, a report that resulted from extensive consultations she conducted with private and public sector partners on “mal-employment” in Canada. (Mal-employment is term that indicates that University and College graduates with limited job prospects are forced to take work below their ability level)

Marie is the former Chair of the Board of “Help Us Help”, a Charity providing assistance for disadvantage Ukrainian children, their families and caregivers. She led the efforts of “Help Us Help” as it took on a major humanitarian role in Ukraine as war broke out. Dr. Bountrogianni was a member of Northland Power Inc.’s Board of Directors and the former Dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University. She was a trusted leader with previous prominent roles including President and Executive Director of the ROM Board of Governors, Ontario Cabinet Minister, Chief Psychologist at the Hamilton Board of Education and Assistant Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University. Dr. Bountrogianni holds a doctorate in Applied Psychology from the University of Toronto and is an advisory board member at Eurobank's incubator "the egg". In addition, Dr. Bountrogianni is a frequent keynote speaker and lecturer on adult education, entrepreneurship and mal-employment, a term that indicates that University/College graduates with limited job prospects are forced to take work below their ability level. 

Read More
Dave

Dr. Dave Davis, MD, CCFP, FCFP, FRCPC (Hon)

Academic Family Physician & Author

Dave recently retired from his position as the Senior Director, Continuing Education and Performance Improvement at the Association of American Medical Colleges. He was a family physician in Ontario for nearly forty years and active in continuing medical education as the Chairman of an interprofessional program at a community hospital; Chair of Continuing Education at McMaster University’s Faculty of Health Sciences; Associate Dean, Continuing Education, and Founding Director of the Knowledge Translation (Implementation Science) Program in the Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; and Chairman of Ontario’s Guidelines Advisory Committee, the precursor of Health Quality Ontario.

As a researcher, he has held grants totaling several million dollars and he is the author of several fictional books. Dave had the opportunity to explore and test models of clinical practice guideline development, adaptation, and implementation of best evidence on a province-wide basis. He has published over 125 peer-reviewed papers, in addition to dozens of abstracts, bool chapters, two major books on Continuing Professional Development and presentations on four continents. His 1995 JAMA systematic review of the effect of CME interventions is widely cited as the seminal study in this field.

Finally, Dave has been the Chair or President of multiple national or provincial Canadian organizations, two North American organizations (the Alliance for CME and the Society for Academic CME) and the Guidelines International Network, a global organization dedicated to the development and implementation of evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

Read More
Irwin Elman

Irwin Elman, BEd, Med, OC

Founding Board Member

Irwin has served with distinction as one of our Founding Board Members, and recently as our Board Chair. We remain grateful to him for many contributions to Resilient Kids Canada.  Irwin served from 2008 to 2019, as an Officer of the Ontario Legislative Assembly in the position of Province Advocate for Children and Youth. In that role, Irwin gave voice to young people regarding the  experiences of the most vulnerable amongst them. He built and drew upon their strengths to advocate for policy changes amongst government, service providers and policy makers. Irwin also influenced the establishment of Offices of the Child Advocate in each province across Canada. As a world leader, he has helped develop child advocacy efforts in Ukraine, Japan, Jamaica and Hungary. Prior to his appointment as Ontario’s Child Advocate. Irwin served for more than 20 years as the Manager of the Pape Adolescent Resource Centre in Toronto – an award-winning organization the supports young people as they leave the child welfare system. He later served as the Director of Client Service at the Central Toronto Youth Services, a children’s mental health centre. Irwin has served as Global Strategic Advisor to “Until The Last Child “ and an advisor to the Coroner of Ontario. He is currently a Senior Fellow with the Laidlaw Foundation. Most importantly, Irwin is a proud husband and father to two teenage boys who command hos love and doting attention.

Read More
Avis

Avis Favaro, BA, MA, PhD

Award Winning Health Journalist

Avis is an award-winning healthcare correspondent with over 40 years of experience. Initially, Avis was with Global TV and currently, she is the Senior Broadcast Journalist with CTV News. In addition, Avis is utilizing her expertise as the Health Journalist & Science Communications Expert with her own consulting company, “Hypochondria Communications”.

Avis immersed herself in the world of reporting on health news early in her career. She began to think that she was developing symptoms of the diseases that she was learning about and they helped to shape her into a more understanding and empathic journalist who understands the pain of illness, the suffering of patients and the triumph of successful treatments. A psychologist informed her that hypochondria is a temporary medical student disease.

The experiences shaped her into a “Network Hypochondriac” and that became her tagline. In addition to being awarded an Honorary PhD, Doctor of Laws and a PhD, Doctor of Philosophy by the School of Nursing at McMaster University, Avis was the first Journalist in Residence at McMaster University’s Faculty of Science. As a mother and grandmother, Avis fully understands the importance of Resilient Kids Canada’s Vision, Mission, and Values. She has agreed to assist us as we expand our communications network to better serve parents, caregivers, and educators, and especially the young children in their care.

Read More
Elizabeth

Dr. Elizabeth (Lee) Ford-Jones, MD, FRCPC

Expert in Paediatric Social Medicine

Lee is described as an innovator, advocate, mentor, and recognized leader in social paediatrics and infectious diseases because of her impressive body of work as a pediatrician, clinician, and researcher.  For more than 35 years, she has made tremendous contributions to the lives of countless children and families at the Hospital for Sick Children and across Canada by putting the health and well-being of children at the forefront of her professional life in infectious diseases and social medicine.

Most recently, the focus of Lee’s work has been in social pediatrics, an approach to medical interventions that considers the health of a child in the context of their family, environment, and community, and integrates the physical, mental, and social dimensions of a child's health and development into any diagnosis and/or treatment plan. In other words, a physician who practices social pediatrics is as likely to inquire about a parent’s stress levels related employment, income, or food security as they are about their child's height, weight, and developmental milestones.

Read More
Philip

Dr. Philip Hébert. MD, PhD, FRCPC

Professor Emeritus: Academic Ethicist

Philip is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto, a family physician who has taught professional ethics for more than 25 years, and the author of a textbook for physicians and other healthcare professionals, "Doing Right - 3rd editor, 2014".  He received the 2nd Annual William Marsden Award from the Canadian Medical Association for his contribution to medical ethics teaching in Canada.  The College of Family Physicians of Canada named him Ontario's Family Physician of the Year.  In retirement from his position at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Philip continues to influence ethical practices for all professionals.  In 2020, he released the book, "The Trusted Doctor: Medical Ethics and Professionalism".  

Read More
Anna

Dr. Anna Jarvis, MD, FRCPC, MEP

Leader in Paediatric Emergency Services

Anna’s major leadership contributions include collaborations with the University of Toronto, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, the Royal College Specialty Examination Boards, the Canadian Paediatric Association’s Paediatric Emergency Medicine Section, the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the Toronto Emergency Services,  The Michener Institute for Applied Health Sciences, Life Support Program, the  American Academy of Pediatrics, Greater Toronto Child Health Network, and the Credit Valley Hospital. The Anna Jarvis Award for Teaching in Emergency Medicine was established in 1993 to recognize excellence amongst the faculty in Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto. While the Associate Dean Health Professions, Student Affairs, Toronto, she developed and coordinated student support services. Dr. Jarvis’ major educational contributions at The Hospital for Sick Children have been the creation and development of a wide variety of Paediatric Emergency Medicine, Continuing Education and Life Support Educational Learning Opportunities.

Read More
Johnathon

Jonathan Kakegamic, BoE,

Former Principal of Indigenous Schools

Jonathan is Oji-Cree from the Keewaywin First Nation and with years of experiences as a teacher, school principal, and a consultant. At that early age, he dreamed of a world where he would ensure that all of his students received the attention they needed to succeed. Over the course of time, his dream to be a teacher came true and he became known for his “student-centred approach” in all of his interactions as a teacher and as he took on leadership roles. He also was the Principal of the Indigenous School in Thunder Bay. Within one year, he had implemented all of the educational recommendations of the Inquest into the missing young Indigenous youth. He then became the Principal of the Toronto Indigenous School and built upon the original high school to establish a school that engaged young people in a culturally sensitive curriculum from pre-school to grade twelve.

 
Read More
Rita

Rita Karakas, BoE

International Government & Non-Government Consultant

Rita is the Founder of RSK Associates Inc., an international consultancy with over 30 years of global experience in both the government and non-government sectors. She has expertise in strategies for corporate planning, organizational change, and strategic management planning with a substantive track in bringing about continual and recognizable transformation. Currently, she is acting as Organizational Development consultant to EQUAL MEASURES 2030, a UK based coalition supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, tracking mega data on gender within the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals. Among her many volunteer activities, Rita serves as a member of the Board of La Chapelle, the Scenes Contemporaines and The Theatre Museum Canada.

 
Read More

In Memoriam

Anthony

Dr. Anthony Ford-Jones, MBBS

Highly Respected Paediatrican

Dr. Ford-Jones was a beloved and highly respected Paediatrician in Burlington, Ontario. He left a 40-year legacy as a brilliant and talented community-based Paediatrician, dedicated teacher and mentor, and a supportive colleague. He was one of the Founding Paediatricians of the Paediatric Program at Joseph Brant Hospital, (JBH) and played a critical role in its growth and development. He also had close ties to McMaster University Children’s Hospital, Hamilton, and the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Ontario.

Dr. Ford-Jones served as an Assistant Clinical Professor at McMaster University Children’s Hospital and used his knowledge and skills to provide guidance and mentorship to future physicians who trained at JBH. When the Emergency Physicians, Nurses and other staff knew that he was on call, they relaxed knowing that every child and their family members were in good hands – and, so were they.

As a result of Dr. Ford-Jones’ dedication and positive impact on the lives of children and youth, he was awarded the “Distinguished Community Paediatric Award” by the Canadian Paediatric Society. The award recognizes a colleague who has demonstrated a significant contribution to the field of community paediatrics. He was a fierce advocate for children on climate change and incarcerated youth and loved learning about the
latest technology to improve patient care. He also served on the Boards of the Canadian Paediatric Society and the Paediatrics and Child Health medical journal.

Dr. Ford-Jones embodied humility and grace and shared his joyful personality with everyone he met, especially with the kids and their family members that he served so well. He made house calls until he retired and served breakfasts with the Rotary School-Based Breakfast Program. He loved music, read widely, enjoyed photography, cooking and fixing things. He enriched the lives of everyone whose path crossed his. As the
devoted spouse of fellow Paediatrician, Dr. Lee Ford-Jones, a beloved father and father- in law to their two daughters, Carrie and Polly and their husbands and the proud grandfather of his eight dearly loved grandchildren, he is dearly missed by his family and all of us who benefitted from knowing this kind and brilliant “Kids Doc”.

Read More
James_Fraser_Mustard

Dr. Fraser Mustard, MD, PhD

Researcher and Educational Visionary

In 1966, Dr. Mustard was one of the founding faculty members at McMaster University’s Medical School. He was the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and the medical school for 1972-1982.  He devoted his later years to the early childhood education. In addition to receiving over 23 honorary degrees, Dr. Mustard was inducted into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and received the Officer of the Order of Canada and the Lifetime Achievement Award, Lawson Foundation. He began his research journey early in his career. As a research fellow at the University of Toronto, he became an expert in platelet physiology and its relationship to thrombosis and atherosclerosis. In 1966, Dr. Mustard became a founding member of the McMaster University Faculty of Medicine.

The revolutionary educational philosophy of the new school coincided with Dr. Mustard’s own learning philosophy about the importance of learning how to problem-solve throughout life. This commitment to education continued for the rest of Dr. Mustard’s career in his roles at the Canadian Institute of Advanced Research. He was named a Companion of the Order of Canada. In the early 1990’s, Dr. Mustard became a renowned advocate for early childhood development, as well as a champion for the social determinates of health.

In 1999, Dr. Mustard engaged our Founding President & CEO in the implementation of the recommendations of the first Early Years Study: Reversing the Real Brain Drain that he had co-authored with Senator Margaret McCain. The second and third Early Years Studies resulted in all-day junior and senior kindergartens and the fourth Early Years Study: Thriving Kids, Thriving Society that was authored by the Honorable Margaret McCain and Dr. Angela James called on governments to invest in early childhood education as the first tier of our education systems. Government has answered. As Dr. Mustard taught us when Canadian Children thrive, Canada thrives.

Read More
Charles

Dr. Charles Pascal, PhD

Internationally Recognized Canadian Educator

Dr. Pascal passed away suddenly on April 24, 2023. He was an internationally recognized Canadian Educator with expertise in early and higher education, public policy and leadership development. He was a faculty member of the University of Toronto OISE (Ontario Institute of Studies in Education/ Atkinson Centre for Society and Child Development).  Charles coordinated Canada’s first flexible  PhD in Early Learning and taught a PhD program in leadership for post-secondary and community leaders.  Dr. Pascal published extensively in the fields of psychology and education.

In addition, Charles was a former College President and an Ontario Deputy Minister of Health. He was appointed as the Premier’s Special Advisor on Early Childhood Learning. Charles released his seminal report in 2009, entitled: “Our Best Future in Mind: Implementing Early Learning in Ontario”. The report informed policy and practice provincially, nationally and internationally and set the stage for the 2nd and 3rd Early Years Studies by Dr. Fraser Mustard and Margaret McCain, resulting in Ontario’s all-day Junior and Senior Kindergartens.

Following the attainment of his PhD, Charles joined McGill University and was a founder of the Centre for Learning & Development. In addition, he founded the McGill Community Family Centre, a full-service child-care centre that was the first of its kind in a Canadian University, He served on numerous community advisory boards and committees addressing the education of disadvantaged and special-needs children and led a team at Montreal Children’s Hospital that invented a new training model to help parents support children with disabilities.

Dr. Pascal received honorary diplomas from Niagara, Humber and George Brown Colleges and honorary doctorates from Nipissing, Guelph, and Laurentian Universities. He was  a recipient of the Yorktown Family Services Humanitarian of the Year award (2003). Charles is also a Fellow of the Ontario Teachers’ Federation, was the 2008 recipient of People for Education’s Egerton Ryerson Award in recognition of his dedication to public education, and was the recipient of the 2009 “Excellence in Advocacy” award from the Ontario Coalition for Better Childcare. He was also named an “honorary” elementary school principal by the Ontario Principals’ Council (2009) and received the Lamp of Learning award from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation (2015) for outstanding contribution to public education in Ontario. In 2014, Charles received the Excellence in Community Service award from the Intercultural Dialogue Institute. A former ballplayer himself, Charles coached baseball at the University of Toronto for 12 years. He is also a Senior Fellow at the University’s Massey College and a Policy Fellow at the Broadbent Institute. Charles is a Member of the Order of Canada.

Read More
walter

Dr. Walter Rosser, MD, CCFP, FCFP, MRCGP

Healthcare Visionary & Pioneer in Family Medicine Research

It is with deep sympathy for Dr. Rosser’s family, colleagues and friends that we honour Dr. Rosser who is with us now in our hearts and our minds. Walter was a Professor Emeritus at Queen’s University and a well-recognized healthcare visionary and pioneer in family medicine research. As the President of the Ontario College of Family Physicians, he led a visioning exercise in 1998 that has been realized in the creation of the Northern School of Medicine, and health system reform that is currently described as “Ontario Health Teams”. He transformed family medicine research and education during his terms as the Chair of four departments of family medicine at the University of Ottawa, McMaster University, the University of Toronto and Queen’s University. Walter is best recognized as a beloved practicing family physician whose practice focused on the most vulnerable of patients. He is the recipient of multiple research awards including the Maurice Wood Award from the North American Primary Care Research Group, the Order of Canada and the OCFP’s Jan Kasperski Leadership Award. Prior to finishing medical school, Dr. Rosser’s research endeavours were published in leading peer reviewed journals and he was presented with his first of many “Best Research Paper” awards. Walter also helped found the Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network, with the intent to collect health information from electronic medical records across Canada. Having supported the establishment of the Healthy Child Development Committee and its involvement in enacting many of the recommendations of the Mustard and McCain Early Years Report, his involvement with Resilient Kids Canada reflects his dedication to the health and well-being of Canada’s young people.

Read More
James

James S. Gyurke, BA, PhD

Former Board Secretary & Treasurer, Highly Regarded Psychologist

Jim has served as our Board Secretary & Treasurer and we are pleased that he will continue to provide guidance and advise as a respected Member of our Professional Advisory Council. Jim is the Head of Clinical Strategy and Business Development with Riverside Insights that creates and provides a broad range of high-quality, time-tested professional testing products and services that delivers meaningful information to enhance the lives of children and adults. Previously, he had been the Chief Executive Officer of ImPact Applications Inc., the Vice President of Marketing and Sales with PAR (Psychological Assessment Resources, the National Clinical Consultant Behavioural Healthcare with Harcourt Assessment and the National Clinical Consultant K-12 Sales with The Psychological Corporation. From his home in Florida, Jim is a volunteer fundraiser with several Children’s organizations and remains committed to providing wise advice to Resilient Kids Canada .

 
Read More

Resilient Kids Canada

We do not provide mental health services.  If you require assistance, we recommend you contact:

Crisis Services Canada:  to help you to find distress centres and crisis organizations across Canada.  You can assess immediate help by calling 1-833-456-4566 (toll-free and available 24/7) or by Texting 45645 (4 pm – 12 am ET).

Kids Help Phone: available 24 hours a day for young people aged five (5) to twenty-nine (29).  Phone 1-800-668-6868 (toll-free) or text Connect 686868.

Hope for Wellness Helpline: a 24/7 crisis counselling helpline for Indigenous people across Canada who are suffering from mental health issues. Contact them at 1-855-242-3310 or visit their chat line at www.hopeforwellness.ca

Resilient Kids Canada’s Registered Charity Number 718447477 RR 001

Land Acknowledgment: Our lands spanning from Lake Ontario to the Niagara Escarpment are steeped in the Indigenous History and Modern Traditions of the many Firsts Nations and Métis. The territory is mutually covered by the Dishwith One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, an agreement between the Iroquois Confederacy, the Ojibway and other allied Nations to peaceably share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. We would like to acknowledge that the land on which we gather is part of the Tready Land and Territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Donate Now

(opens in new tab)

Website Survey

info@resilientkidscan.org

(opens in new tab)

Disclaimer