Public Service Pride Awards

Public Service Pride Awards: Celebrating Excellence in Inclusion

✨ Record-Breaking Nominations for 2025

We’ve received the highest number of nominations since the awards launched in 2021 – 56 nominations from 29 organizations!

These changemakers are transforming policy, mentoring peers, organizing inclusive events, and more — proving Pride in the public service is more than celebration. It’s action.

📍 View the inspiring nominees and their departments — read a short write-up of their nomination now on GCXchange.

2025 Nominees

Agent of Change Award Nominees

Joel-Jean Beauchemin
Natural Resources Canada

Frederik Caron
Service Canada (Québec Region)

AJ Dolman
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada 

Julian Jeganathan
Employment and Social Development Canada 

André-Marc Allain
Employment and Social Development Canada 

Blake Noelte
Canada Revenue Agency

Olivier Mercier
Canadian Food Inspection Agency 

Kim Tetley
Canada Revenue Agency 

Dee Campbell
Canada School of Public Service

Emiline Filion
Canadian Space Agency 

Gladis Lemus
Health Canada

Julie Beaulieu
Canada School of Public Service

Thiago Fernandes de Lima
Health Canada

Sue Twine
National Research Council

Heidi Hansen
Environment and Climate Change Canada

Jamie Nadeau
Transport Canada

Celeste Cloutier
Shared Services Canada

Pamela Harrison
Veterans Affairs Canada

LCol Jennifer Davaine
Department of National Defence

Sergeant Ruthern-Percival Flamel
Department of National Defence

Terra Kennedy
Department of National Defence

Olivia Johnston
Department of National Defence

Max Turner
Department of Fisheries and Oceans / Canadian Coast Guard

Emilie Plows
Department of Fisheries and Oceans / Canadian Coast Guard

Maddie Morris
Global Affairs Canada

Corporal Al Lawson
Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Corporal Gerald Sherk
Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Kelly Wolfslehner
Canada Border Services Agency

Jesse Fleming
Canada Border Services Agency

Jason Evanochko
Department of National Defence

Megan (MG) Le Stum
Statistics Canada

Jeremy Miljour Lafond
House of Commons

 

Pride Network of the Year Award Nominees

Toronto Contact Center Pride Committee
Employment and Social Development Canada

IITB Pride Network
Employment and Social Development Canada

CFIA Pride Network
Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Pride@IRCC
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Defence Team Transgender Employee Network
Department of National Defence


Workplace Pride Initiative Nominees

Healing Circles
Natural Resources Canada

Practical Tools for 2SLGBTQI-Inclusive
Workplaces
Health Canada

Pride Corner/Crosswalk
Canada Revenue Agency

One Word, A Thousand Faces, One Family
Employment and Social Development Canada

Introduction to Inclusive Writing
Health Canada

Service PSP Portal - New Forms for Pay,
Benefits, and Pension
Public Service and Procurement Canada

ACOA New Brunswick DICE Committee
Transgender Awareness Initiative
Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Equity Embracers Recognition Program
Parks Canada - Cape Breton Field Unit

Working Group on Inclusive and Accessible Facilities
Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Diversity Ambassador
House of Commons

Positive Space at CBSA - Training
Canada Border Services Agency

National Capital Region Pride March
Department of National Defence

Pronouns/pronunciation emails, Setting up Pride Network
Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

 

Career Impact Nominees

Bart Bilmer
Natural Resources Canada

Holly Jacobs
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Liane Cousineau
Communications Security Establishment

 

Department/Agency Award for Excellence in Pride Leadership Nominees

Women and Gender Equality Canada

Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Canadian Coast Guard

Public Service Pride Awards Categories

Agent of Change Award

Recognizing advocates and leaders who are actively working to eliminate systemic barriers and advance the inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities in the federal public service.

Pride Network of the Year Award

Acknowledging a department or agency pride network that has demonstrated outstanding commitment and contributions to advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion across their department or agency.

Workplace Pride Initiative of the Year Award

Celebrating an individual or team’s innovative workplace policy, plan, event or activity that has proven beneficial for promoting 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace. 

Career Impact Award

Honoring individuals who have made a lasting and substantial impact throughout their career by actively supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities within the federal public service.

Department / Agency Award for Excellence in Pride Leadership

Recognizing, in response to the Open Letter, a department or agency that has exhibited exceptional leadership by actively implementing and demonstrating results through sustained organization-wide actions or initiatives, such as those outlined in the letter, in support of 2SLGBTQIA+ employees.

Previous Editions of the Public Service Pride Awards

2024 Winners

Agent of Change Award

Andrea Monrad
Environment and Climate Change Canada

Jeansil Bruyère
Immigration Refugee Board of Canada

Kevin Phillips
Canada Border Services Agency

Tanya Harvey
Transport Canada

Workplace Pride Initiative of the Year Award

Pronoun Guide
Public Services Procurement Canada

Pride Network Award

Toronto Employment Insurance Contact Centre Pride Committee
Employment and Social Development Canada

Department / Agency Award for Excellence in Pride Leadership

Canadian Food Inspection Agency

2023 Winners

Agent of Change Award

Megan Otu
Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Kaye Low
Veterans Affairs Canada

Major André P. Jean
Canadian Armed Forces / National Defence

Amér Mubaslat
Global Affairs Canada

Andrew Caldwell
Employment and Social Development Canada

Workplace Pride Initiative of the Year Award

Elliott L. Welch Memorial Award
Employment and Social Development Canada

Pride Network Award

3rd CDSB Edmonton Defence Team Pride Advisory Organization
National Defence

Career Impact Award

Andrea Markowski
Correctional Service of Canada

Department / Agency Award for Excellence in Pride Leadership

Justice Canada

2022 Winners

Agent of Change Award

David Beamer, Canada Revenue Agency
Dr. Holly Ellingwood, Public Safety Canada
Lee Nevens, Justice Canada
Lydia Lipic, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Jefferson Morris IV, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat

Pride Network Award

Defense Team Pride Advisory Organization, Department of National Defense and Canadian Armed Forces

Workplace Pride Initiative of the Year Award

Directive on Inclusive Sanitary Facility Design, Parks Canada

Career Impact Award

Missy Marston-Shmelzer, Canadian Heritage

Pioneer Award

Michelle Douglas, LGBT Purge Fund

2021 Winners

Agent of Change Award

David Da Silva, Global Affairs Canada
Johanne Charest, Canada Border Services Agency
Teresa Joudrie, Indigenous Services Canada
Taryn Husband, Global Affairs Canada 
Tamara Lopez, Canada Border Services Agency
Richard Hansen, Canada Revenue Agency

Pride Network Award

Gender and Sexual Diversity Inclusiveness Network, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Workplace Pride Initiative of the Year Award

Universally Accessible Washrooms in Terrasses de la Chaudière Complex
Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, Indigenous Services Canada, Canadian Heritage

Career Impact Award

Artur Wilczynski, Communications Security Establishment
Guy Desaulniers, Public Service Commission

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