Members

Awards

Verda Rochon Award 2005

Louis Caissie - Margaret Cobbold

Each year the Verda Rochon Award is presented to honour exceptional leadership, excellence in professional practice, and outstanding service as a member of CAPPE/ACPEP. This year we have honoured two outstanding people who have provided exemplarily service to CAPPE/ACPEP for over a decade.

Margaret Cobbold came to Chaplaincy and our Association following a career in physiotherapy. Recognizing that the spiritual side of patients was not being adequately served, and that there was a strong connection between spirituality and health, Margaret began her Master of Divinity Studies in 1986 at St. Michael’s College, Toronto. A Roman Catholic laywoman, Margaret had intended only to complete a one-year diploma program however with the encouragement of peers and supervisors, decided to pursue her degree to completion. In May 1986, Margaret began her first basic CPE unit (Sunnybrook) and continued to work weekends from August 1986 through May 1987, also at Sunnybrook Hospital. Advanced CPE units were completed at Toronto General and Toronto Western Hospitals respectively. Margaret worked as a staff chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital (Toronto) from September 1989 to June 1993 and immediately thereafter as a staff chaplain at Scarborough Centenary Hospital (where 60% of her work was in the Cancer Care Program) until her retirement in May 2000.

Over the years not only has Margaret provided sensitive, compassionate, and effective pastoral and spiritual care to her patients, their families and friends, and the other health care professionals with whom she worked, she has also served as one who has participated in shaping our Association on the Education Standards Commission (1994-1998), and as secretary to the Board and the Executive (1998-2002). In addition, she served as secretary of the Ontario Central Region (1992-1994) and as a member of the Specialist Committee (1993-1997). No one will ever forget Margaret’s superb organizational skills and true grit as she set to work at the National Office (2001) wherein she volunteered her time, usually 2 to 3 days a week working with Tony Sedfawi, to help the Association get back on track. In many ways, our Association is what it is today because Margaret worked tirelessly with the national office to bring order and new life out of confusion and chaos. Now (from 2004) as the CAPPE/ACPEP Archivist, Margaret is helping us as an Association to remember, claim and honour our past and our heritage. Thank you Margaret! You are truly an inspiration to us all with your commitment and dedication to CAPPE/ACPEP.

Louis-Phillipe Caissie came to CAPPE/ACPEP from a career in ministry both within and beyond the Canadian borders. His first C.P.E. Residency was at Toronto General (1990-1991). Then as Staff Chaplain at the Victoria General Hospital, Halifax (1991-1993), Louis worked in the Haematology/Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. Louis was the Coordinator of Pastoral Care Department, VGH and QEII in Halifax from 1993 to 2002. He did his CPE Supervisory education at QEII, Halifax, from 1993 to 1995 and he was certified as a Teaching Supervisor on Feb. 1, 1996. Louis has served as Admitting Chair of the Education Standards Commission (Atlantic Region) for two terms and as Chair of the Certification Committee, 2 and one-half terms. Louis has just been re-appointed for a second term (2005) as a member of the Judicial Committee.

In his warm, sensitive, compassionate, way of embracing the world around him Louis has both led and enabled CAPPE/ACPEP to become a more accepting and inclusive Association. As both a Chaplain and a Teaching Supervisor he has deeply touched the lives of many with his wisdom, caring and professional expertise. He has served the Association as a facilitator and shaper of those processes that mark excellence and expertise in pastoral care, pastoral counselling and pastoral education. Thank you Louis for your ongoing committed service to CAPPE/ACPEP. Blessings in abundance