Lincoln M. Alexander Award

Lincoln M. Alexander

The Lincoln M. Alexander Award commemorates the legacy of Ontario’s 24th Lieutenant Governor by recognizing three young people who have shown strong leadership in eliminating racial discrimination. Two recipients in the Student category and one recipient in the Community category will each receive a $5,000 cash award.

View the recorded Award Ceremony for 2019 and 2020 recipients

Eligibility

Student Award

Only accredited provincial secondary schools can nominate a student for this award.

The person you nominate (the nominee) must be:

  • a grade 12 student at an Ontario high school
  • planning to attend a post-secondary institution as a full-time student
  • a resident of Ontario

You cannot nominate:

  • yourself
  • someone who has passed away

Community Award

Only a community organization or agency that works extensively in the area of race relations can nominate someone for this award.

The person you nominate (nominee) must be:

  • between the ages of 16 and 25
  • a resident of Ontario

You cannot nominate:

  • yourself
  • someone who has passed away
  • an elected federal, provincial or municipal politician currently in office
  • a public appointee currently in office

Required information

To submit a nomination, you will need to provide:

  • The school or community organization’s name, phone number and address.
  • The nominee’s first name, last name, phone number and email address.
  • The nominator’s first name, last name, phone number and email address.
  • A detailed description of your nominee’s achievements.
  • A minimum of two signed testimonial letters on letterhead. The letters must be from two different individuals who are not the nominator. An electronic signature or scanned copy of the signed letters are acceptable. The testimonial writers should:
    • know the nominee
    • be able to explain the value and impact of the nominee’s achievements
    • support the nomination
  • The testimonial writers’ first name, last name, phone number and email address.

Additional information

You may include additional materials if they give more insight into your nominee’s accomplishments, such as:

  • supplementary testimonials
  • publications
  • media stories and news articles

Volunteer activities in other areas and academic performance are not taken into consideration.

Deadline

The deadline is May 31 of each year.

How to nominate someone

  1. Gather the required information.
  2. Create an account (or sign in for returning users) on the Ontario Honours and Awards Portal.
  3. Submit your nomination on the portal.

Read our guide for tips on writing and submitting a nomination.

Selection process

An independent selection committee appointed by the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration reviews each nomination and recommends the candidates that should receive the award.

Award presentation

The awards will be presented at a ceremony in the Lieutenant Governor’s Suite at Queen’s Park on or around January 21 (Lincoln M. Alexander Day). Each recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a certificate.

Previous recipients

Read about the previous recipients of this award.


David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility

David C. Onley

This award commemorates the legacy of Ontario’s 28th Lieutenant Governor by recognizing Ontarians who have gone above and beyond to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. There are four categories:

  • Employee Engagement: this category recognizes an employee or volunteer who creates opportunities and breaks down barriers for fellow employees or volunteers with disabilities. The recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a certificate.
  • Role Model: this category recognizes an individual who advocates for positive change, inspires others and makes significant contributions to improving the overall quality of life for people with disabilities. The recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a certificate.
  • Youth Leadership: this category recognizes a young person, between 16 and 24 years old, who shows leadership and commitment to developing the potential of people with disabilities. The recipient receives a $5,000 cash award and a certificate.
  • Honour Roll: this category recognizes an organization that shows leadership in integrating and providing barrier-free working conditions for people with disabilities that goes beyond the compliance of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. Each recipient receives a certificate.

Eligibility

The person you nominate (the nominee) must be:

  • a resident of Ontario (for individuals)
  • registered in Ontario (for companies and organizations)

You cannot nominate:

  • yourself
  • someone who has passed away
  • an elected federal, provincial or municipal politician currently in office

Required information

To submit a nomination, you will need to provide:

  • The nominee’s first name, last name, email address and phone number.
  • The nominator’s first name, last name, email address and phone number.
  • A brief summary of the work and initiatives in one of the four categories.
  • A detailed description of the nominee’s work and initiatives in one of the four categories.
  • At least two signed testimonial letters (this is not required for the Honour Roll category). The letters must be from two different people who are not the nominator. An electronic signature or scanned copy of the signed letters are acceptable. The testimonial writers should:
    • know the nominee
    • be able to explain the nominee’s work and its impacts
    • support the nomination
    • The testimonial writers’ first name, last name, email address and phone number.
  • The testimonial writers' first name, last name, email address and phone number.

Additional information

You may include additional materials if they give more insight into your nominee’s accomplishments, such as:

  • news articles
  • community and not-for-profit organization profiles

Deadline

The deadline is extended to March 31, 2024.

How to nominate someone

  1. Gather the required information.
  2. Create an account (or sign in for returning users) on the Ontario Honours and Awards Portal.
  3. Submit your nomination on the portal.

Read our guide for tips on writing and submitting a nomination.

Selection process

An independent selection committee reviews each nomination in the three individual awards categories (Employee Engagement, Role Model, Youth Leadership), and recommends who should receive them.

The Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility determines the eligibility of applicants for Honour Roll category, and one or more recipients are selected if they meet the requirements.

Award presentation

The awards are presented during a ceremony by the Lieutenant Governor, the Hon. David C. Onley and the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility.

Learn about our recipients

Read about the recipients of this award.

About David C. Onley

David C. Onley served as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario from 2007 to 2014 and was the first with a physical disability.


Champion of Diversity Award

The Champion of Diversity Award recognizes individuals, groups and employers who help promote immigrant success, economic growth and inclusion through three categories:

  • The Inclusion and Diversity category recognizes those who embrace inclusion and diversity and ensure immigrants and refugees have access to social services.
  • The Cross-Cultural Understanding category recognizes those who make contributions toward preserving cultural heritage and supporting employees from different cultures.
  • The Business Leadership in Immigrant Employment category recognizes the efforts of an organization to hire and promote immigrants at a level equal to their global skills, education and experience.

Previous recipients

Read about some of the previous recipients of the award.

Inclusion and Diversity

  • Zeynep Cildir, Refugee Support Association and Passion Minds, Ottawa (2021)
    Zeynep Cildir is a settlement worker and community leader who founded Refugee Support Association and Passion Minds, two organizations that help refugees access the services and connect low-income high school students with educational resources.
  • Angel Kuang, Inspiration Learning Centre, Markham (2019)
    Angel Kuang is the founder of the Inspiration Learning Centre which offers educational resources and tutoring supports that bridge Eastern and Western teaching practices. The Centre helps students across the GTA and British Columbia reach their full potential and develop their love of learning.
  • Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex, Windsor (2018)
    For over 45 years, the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County has been creating a welcoming community for newcomers and the community at-large in Windsor-Essex. The Council promotes education, community engagement, diversity and equality.
  • The Access Centre, HealthForceOntario, Toronto (2018)
    The Health Force Access Centre offers e-learning resources and partners with over 200 organizations to help new immigrants who have a background in health care resume their careers in Ontario.
  • We Welcome the World Centres, Peel District School Board, Mississauga (2018)
    The Peel District School Board’s We Welcome the World Centres is a one-stop resource hub that offers a variety of essential services for more than 8,000 newcomer families each year.
  • Sulaiman Al Dhaim, Centre-East French-Catholic School Board, Ottawa (2018)
    Sulaiman Al Dhaim is a community worker who helps immigrant and refugee families navigate their transition to a new life in Ontario.
  • Natalie Edgar, Innisfil (2018)
    While Vice-Principal of the Chris Hadfield Public School, Natalie Edgar led school-wide initiatives to welcome new families to Bradford. She also worked to foster a better sense of inclusion at the school by promoting cross-cultural understanding and encouraging culturally responsive teaching.
  • Camille Orridge, Toronto (2018)
    Camille Orridge has been a champion of health equity for more than 50 years. As the former CEO of Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network and Toronto Central Community Care Access Centre, Camille has helped remove barriers and improve access to health care services for newcomers, seniors and racialized, LGBTQ2+ and vulnerable communities.

Cross-Cultural Understanding

  • Georgette Eid, Centre-East French-Catholic School Board, Ottawa (2021)
    Georgette Eid is a settlement worker who connects new Canadian students and their families to supports and creates workshops to help them transition to their new home.
  • Lesya Granger, Centre-East French-Catholic School Board, Ottawa (2021)
    Lesya Granger was the manager of the International Languages Program where she trained teachers who deliver international language classes at the Centre-East French-Catholic School Board.
  • Les travailleuses et travailleurs d’établissement, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est, Ottawa (2018)
    Les travailleuses et travailleurs d’établissement dans les écoles (Settlement Workers in Schools) provides a wide range of supports to help new Canadian students meet their basic needs and ensure they have access to housing, education, employment, and legal and administrative services.
  • Gail Wilson-Beier, Durham Catholic District School Board, Ajax (2019)
    Gail Wilson-Beier is a counsellor who organized the youth summit 60-40-30: Student Voice Towards Culture and Identity, and ran various cultural clubs, organized Black history events and promoted diversity and inclusion at schools throughout Durham.
  • Helena Lenka Weksberg, Toronto (2019)
    Helena Lenka Weksberg is a Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her life to keeping the lessons of the Holocaust alive. She shares her story with groups, including high school students across Canada, the U.S. and Europe, and speaks out against current human rights abuses.
  • Highway Safety Division, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) Inclusion Council, Aurora (2018)
    The Highway Safety Division’s Inclusion Council works to promote inclusive recruitment, training and career development to recognize the global skills and experience of newcomers within the Greater Toronto Area.
  • Anthony Fagan, Toronto’s Eastview Neighborhood Community Centre, Toronto (2018)
    Anthony Fagan is a youth worker who has spent more than 20 years spearheading programs, projects and workshops that aim to increase understanding between different cultural, religious and socio-economic groups.

Business Leadership in Immigrant Employment

  • The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto (2018)
    Over the past 20 years, the bridging programs for internationally educated professionals has helped more than 1,000 newcomers resume their careers in Ontario in areas such as health, social services, communication, engineering, architecture and sustainability.

If you know someone that deserves a Champion of Diversity award, nominate them now.

How to nominate someone

Nomination deadline

The deadline to nominate someone is May 15 of each year.

Required information

To submit a nomination, you must provide:

  • the nominee’s information
  • your information
  • a summary
  • a detailed description of your nominee’s achievement
  • a minimum of two signed testimonial letters, on letterhead, from two different individuals who are not the nominator

The testimonial writer should know, and be able to explain, the value and impact of your nominee’s achievements and support the nomination. We will accept an electronic signature or scanned copy of the signed letters.

Additional information

You may include other materials in your submission, if they give more insight into your nominee’s accomplishments, such as:

  • supplementary testimonials
  • publications
  • media stories
  • news articles

Eligibility

Your nominee must be either:

  • a resident of Ontario
  • an organization operating in Ontario

You cannot nominate:

  • yourself
  • someone who has passed away
  • an elected federal, provincial or municipal politician currently in office

Reference guides

Tips for writing and submitting a nomination