Fourteen New Members from Across Ontario Elected to the Association de l’Hôpital Montfort
Ottawa, June 18, 2025 – Fourteen new members from across Ontario were elected to the Association de l’Hôpital Montfort, Ontario’s francophone academic hospital, at the Annual Meeting held last night, in presence of the Mayor of Ottawa, Mark Sutcliffe.
The 100 members of the Association serve as Montfort’s ambassadors and support the hospital in its mission, notably by electing the members of the Board of Directors, participating in the annual meetings and serving as a bridge between the community and the hospital.
Montfort welcomes:
- Soukaina Boutiyeb, Executive Director of the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne
- Grace K. Busanga, Founder of the communications and marketing agency Avec Grace
- Lynn Casimiro, President and CEO of Collège La Cité
- Isabelle Charbonneau, Chair of the Board of Directors of Réseau du mieux-être francophone du Nord de l’Ontario
- Melinda Chartrand, Chair of the Board of Directors of the French Language Health Planning Entité2
- Marc Despatie, Director of Communications, Government Relations and the Boréal Foundation at Collège Boréal
- Marie-Lison Fougère, former Ontario Deputy Minister for Francophone Affairs
- Christiane Fox, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council, Associate Secretary of the Cabinet and Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
- Paul Lachance, Chair of the Board of Directors of the French Language Health Planning Entité1
- Senator Lucie Moncion, Representative of Ontario’s Francophone community in the Senate of Canada
- Florence Ngenzebuhoro, President and CEO of FN Strategies
- Stéphan Plourde, Retired Colonel, Canadian Armed Forces
- Carl Poirier, Creative Director of Cayenne Creative and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Regroupement des gens d’affaires
- Eric Saumure, Co-Founder of Zenbooks
“We’re delighted to be able to count on the perspectives, expertise and commitment to Montfort’s mission of these distinguished Franco-Ontarians,” said Marie-Josée Martel, Chair of the Board of Directors of Montfort.
A year crowned with success
The Annual Meeting was also an opportunity to highlight last year’s accomplishments, with the presentation of reports by the President of the Patient Partner Council, Francine Tremblay; the Chair of the Board, Marie-Josée Martel; the President and CEO of the hospital, Dominic Giroux; and the Chief of Staff, Dr. Chantal D’Aoust-Bernard; and the receipt of the financial statements and annual report on the state of French-language services.
Notable highlights in the Annual Report to the Community include:
- The launch of the 2024–2028 Strategic Plan, the first joint plan between the hospital, the Institut du Savoir Montfort and Santé Montfort
- The opening of new services, such as the Post-Discharge Assessment Clinic and the Mental Health Emergency Zone
- The coordination of a provincial French-language health care, education and research plan, as part of Montfort’s provincial mandate
- A significant increase in the number of nurses on staff and a 30% decrease in violent incidents for the first time in five years
- Montfort’s ongoing rise in the ranks of the best hospitals in the world, its distinction for the sixth time as one of the best employers in the National Capital Region, and for the tenth time as one of the 40 leading research hospitals in Canada
- The elimination of an anticipated deficit to end the year with a slight operational surplus
The entities affiliated with Montfort—the Institut du Savoir Montfort, Santé Montfort, the Montfort Foundation and the Association des bénévoles de l’Hôpital Montfort—also had the opportunity to share an overview of their activities of the last year.
Tribute to an exceptional leader
The Ilios Award, which recognizes exceptional contributions to Montfort’s development as an academic hospital, was presented to Jeanne-Hélène Tardivel, Executive Director of Montfort Renaissance for more than 20 years, for her contribution to a bold Francophonie for healthy communities, at the head of this organization co-founded by Montfort.
Thanks to her leadership, Montfort Renaissance has undergone significant growth and now boasts 170 staff members and 26 programs, six of which are offered 24/7. A woman of impact, she has built bridges between the health, education, business and community sectors, establishing several lasting strategic partnerships. Under her leadership, Montfort Renaissance was awarded—not once but twice—the highest distinction by Accreditation Canada. She is also a mentor for the next generation of Francophones, having guided many young leaders in their professional careers.
About Montfort
Montfort is Ontario's Francophone academic hospital, providing exemplary person- and community-centred care. Montfort is one of six hospitals in Canada that: are teaching hospitals; serve a general population; have intensive care, obstetric, mental health, rehabilitation and other acute care beds; are among the top 50 hospitals and top 40 research hospitals; and have more indicators above average than below, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
With its vision of a bold Francophonie for healthy communities and as part of its 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, Montfort aims to: serve a growing and aging population; expand French-language services; strengthen our social accountability; enhance the impact of education and research; and innovate to remain a sought-after environment.
Awarded the highest distinction by Accreditation Canada three times in a row, Montfort is the first hospital to be designated Francophone host as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) by the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario.
Media requests