Inclusion Alberta congratulates the winners of the 2025 Inclusion Alberta Awards. The awards were handed out this past weekend at the 2025 Inclusion Alberta Family Conference, held April 11-12 at the Fantasyland Hotel in Edmonton, to recognize those in Alberta who are creating inclusive communities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. 

The 2025 National Inclusive Education Awards 

The National Inclusive Education Award is an initiative organized by Inclusion Canada and its Provincial and Territorial member associations. The award for Alberta is provided jointly by Inclusion Canada and Inclusion Alberta to honour teachers, schools, or school districts whose commitment to inclusive education is exemplary and deserving of recognition. 

This year, the awards were presented to: 

Ernest Manning School and Tiffany Coles – Assistant Principal (Calgary Board of Education) 

Ernest Manning School was nominated by the family of a student with an intellectual disability who has spent 3 years fully included in regular classrooms. The school, and in particular Assistant Principal Tiffany Coles, has gone above and beyond in ensuring that the student has been fully included in every aspect of school life, both educationally and socially, and has fostered a culture of understanding and acceptance among students.   

“In the three years our son has been at this school, we have never felt stressed or pressured to place him in special education,” says the nominating parent. “Our decision to keep him in the regular program has always been respected, and we have been consistently reassured that he is loved and considered a valuable part of the school. The impact of [the school’s] dedication extends beyond our family. They set a powerful example for how inclusion can transform lives and build stronger, more compassionate communities.” 

David Hamblin, Suzaan Crerar, Ash Schell – David Thomas King School (Edmonton Public Schools) 

David Hamblin was nominated by the parents of a grade 6 student at David Thomas King School for creating a culture where students with intellectual disabilities are included with their peers, accepted by teachers and school staff and are truly valued as members of their school community. As Assistant Principal for only a short time, the nominating parents say that he has made such an impact on their son’s school experience by making available proper supports so that their son is now learning alongside and making meaningful connections with his peers.  

“Mr. Hamblin fostered a trusting and nurturing relationship with [our son], and hand-picked teaching and support staff that would prioritize true inclusion,” say the nominating parents. “With his team, Mr. Hamblin has helped [our son] to truly thrive in his classroom this school year.” 

Queen Elizabeth High School – School (Edmonton Public Schools) 

Queen Elizabeth High School was nominated by the parents of a student with an intellectual disability who were worried about their daughter’s transition to high school. But they say that from the very beginning, the school’s welcoming spirit and determination to make their daughter’s high school experience a success was evident. The school embraced the family’s vision of inclusion and supported her not only academically but also socially, encouraging her to participate in extracurricular activities where she has been able to learn, grow and build meaningful relationships with her peers.  

“We had never seen [our daughter] this excited to go to school before her high school years,” say the nominating parents. “Every morning, she looks forward to learning, participating in activities and being part of a school community that genuinely supports and believes in her. She is now looking forward to finishing high school this year and has big plans for post-secondary education.”  

 

As an organization that values and supports the full inclusion of children in regular education classrooms, Inclusion Alberta thanks Ernest Manning School and Assistant Principal Tiffany Coles in Calgary, David Hamblin, Suzaan Crerar and Ash Schell at David Thomas King School in Edmonton and Queen Elizabeth School in Edmonton for their commitment to their students who have been fortunate to be fully included in their regular classrooms. 

The Bruce Uditsky Leadership Award 

Winner: John O’Brien 

The Bruce Uditsky Leadership Award is the most prestigious award presented by Inclusion Alberta. It is only presented when an individual or organization truly demonstrates exemplary leadership in advancing the full inclusion of individuals with intellectual disabilities. It is awarded to individuals or groups whose inspirational leadership efforts have made an invaluable and lasting difference to Albertans. 

John O’Brien has been a thought-leader and truth-seeker in relation to individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families for over 55 years. During this time John has been a prolific author of books, chapters, articles and papers in the hundreds, many of which are considered seminal, groundbreaking and inspirational. John is responsible for developing a number of innovative means to plan for and create good and inclusive lives that have been adopted worldwide, such as Person-Centered Planning. John is unique in his capacity to deeply listen to the voices of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families, hearing at times what is not said, and then distilling the lessons they teach him into amazing lessons of meaning to further the knowledge of us all.  

John was invited to co-lead the first ever Family Leadership Series with Inclusion Alberta over 20 years ago. John helped Inclusion Alberta expand our Inclusive Post-Secondary Education initiative by producing the first and second editions of our guide for evaluating and sustaining quality inclusive post-secondary. John also worked with us, and families, to produce our online guide to Family Managed Supports and consulted with us in organizational leadership succession planning.  

“Best to understand, I think, John as someone who is endlessly curious about the world, always discerning new insights by seeing individuals with intellectual disabilities as full and complete persons who teach us about the wonder that contributes to our very humanity,” says Trish Bowman, Inclusion Alberta’s CEO. 

The Colonel Eric W. and Dr. Barbara V. Cormack Memorial Award 

Winner: Keith Moore 

The Colonel Eric W. and Dr. Barbara V. Cormack Memorial Award is given to an Alberta resident who has made an outstanding, long-term voluntary contribution to serving the interests of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. 

For over 30 years, Keith Moore has been a devoted volunteer and advocate for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families in the Northwest and across Alberta. Keith has a steadfast spirit and is tireless in his efforts in building a supportive, inclusive community. 

His advocacy is deeply personal – shaped by his journey as a father – helping families navigate complex systems, access resources, and build inclusive communities.   

Keith and his wife’s vision for their son Rick, who has an intellectual disability, has always been to fully participate in community life just like their other children and grandchildren.  

Keith has held many roles with Inclusion Alberta as a board representative for Family Voices NW, now Inclusion Grande Prairie, to sitting on the Inclusion Alberta’s Executive Committee as a member-at-large, vice president, and treasurer as well as on the Inclusion Alberta Foundation. As the president of Inclusion Grande Prairie, he has played a crucial role in advocating for local resources to enable inclusive lives.  

 Keith’s advocacy for inclusion is evident through his position as a founding board member of Inclusion Grande Prairie, where he works tirelessly to foster strong connections with city officials, and local politicians, striving to create a more inclusive city. Through his strategic relationships with the RCMP, Keith has prioritized the safety and well-being of individuals with intellectual disabilities.   

Despite facing challenges such as funding cuts and political shifts, Keith has served as a tireless mentor, reflecting on strategies and exploring new opportunities. He played a crucial role in securing funding for initiatives that foster inclusive communities. His advocacy includes providing professional development for educators, ensuring they have access to vital resources and expert insights. Additionally, he has actively collaborated with the City of Grande Prairie’s recreation department to help shape and advocate for inclusive policies that welcome everyone.   

Community Inclusion Award 

The Community Inclusion Award is given to individuals or organizations in Alberta whose actions on a day-to-day basis result in children or adults with intellectual disabilities having increased opportunities to be included in community life. 

Winners: 

Jeff Hanevich (Safeway Capilano Shopping Centre) 

As the General Manager of Safeway Capilano Shopping Centre, Jeff has chosen to hire a diverse workforce. He was nominated by one of his employees who he hired through Inclusion Alberta’s Youth Employment Partnership who says that the store is a great place to work with supportive coworkers.  

Jon McCorquindale (University of Alberta, Augustana Campus) 

Jon was nominated by a student at Augustana who is supported by Inclusion Alberta’s Inclusive Post-Secondary initiative. As the Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management, Jon has mindfully and intentionally championed students with intellectual disabilities, advocating for the benefits of inclusive post-secondary education. This past year, Jon created an educational bursary available to students supported by the inclusive post-secondary initiative, helping to decrease financial barriers to higher education.   

Nicole Pisesky (Fitness instructor, Edmonton) 

Nicole is a fitness instructor that hosts an aerobics class at the Alderwood Community League. She was nominated by the family of an individual with an intellectual disability who she has included in her class for several years. Nicole provides such great support, accommodation and care and the individual is able to attend and enjoy the class independently. 

Ron Egan (Clark Builders) 

As Workforce Manager for Clark Builders, Ron has championed the company’s leadership in inclusive employment through the Rotary Employment Partnership. He ensures that employees with intellectual disabilities are considered for all of Clark’s workforce needs and brought to fruition Inclusion Alberta’s first ever apprenticeship when he offered the opportunity to an employee with an intellectual disability. Ron sees employees with intellectual disabilities as deserving of opportunity as every other Clark Builder’s employee.   

Driving Force 

Driving Force has been an incredible employer and ally to Albertans with intellectual disabilities for decades. They have been an inclusive employer for over 20 years, and one of their employees hired through the Rotary Employment Partnership is celebrating their 20th anniversary with the company this year. Driving Force has been an incredible partner to Inclusion Alberta, from providing financial support through the Dream Maker Society to providing vehicles for our staff from around the province to get to the Family Conference.