CDA Oasis continues to bring you the 2022-23 CDA Awards Recognition Program recipients. The CDA Awards recognize individuals across the country who have demonstrated unwavering passion and support for the dental profession in Canada and exhibited consistent commitment to the oral health of Canadians.
This week we feature the inaugural Mentorship Advancement Award, which recognizes dentists or dentist-led groups who have improved the sense of community among Canadian dentists through volunteer mentorship and shared learning.
2022-23 Mentorship Advancement Award Recipients
Dr. Eric Hatfield (posthumously)
An active member and contributor to the Nova Scotia Dental Association (NSDA), Dr. Eric Hatfield served on many NSDA committees before going on to serve as NSDA President. This was followed by his involvement on the provincial dental board of Nova Scotia where he also served on numerous committees and became its President and Chair.
His outstanding contributions at the provincial level set the stage for his involvement nationally with the National Dental Examining Board of Canada, the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authorities Federation, CDSPI, and the International College of Dentists.
What set Dr. Hatfield apart and endeared him to so many was his ability to inspire and motivate friends and colleagues to become involved in organized dentistry. Many have gone on to become leaders with the NDSA and provincial board, and involvement at the CDA, including Dr. Heather Carr, CDA President for 2023-24.
Dr. Hatfield was a mentor and a friend to many, and his tireless work to further the profession by inspiring the next generation of leaders was exceptional. Because of his steadfast and unwavering service to organized dentistry, he stands tall within the profession.
Sadly Dr. Hatfield is no longer with us, though his legacy lives on. His nephew, Dr. Chad Avery, provided remarks on behalf of the Hatfield family at the Awards ceremony in April.
Dr. Stewart Gillies
Dr. Stewart Gillies has served his profession with outstanding commitment, dedication, and leadership for close to 50 years. A dental graduate from Glasgow, Scotland, he emigrated to Newfoundland in 1977. He served on the NLDA Tariff Committee for 16 years including as chair, the NLDA dental public health committee for 4 years, led their oral health awareness efforts and has also served on their licensing board.
His heart, however, lies in improving access to care for the underserved, not only at home but abroad. Shortly after coming to Canada, he set up a clinic to provide access to care for the underserved. When refugees starting emigrating to Newfoundland from Vietnam, Bulgaria, Cuba, Nicaragua, Russia, the Sudanese and elsewhere, Dr. Gillies served them.
After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, he recruited dentists to travel and be part of the relief effort. From there, the idea of the Canadian International Dental Foundation was born. Through this foundation, Dr. Gillies sought help from colleagues to build a dental clinic in Haiti which continues to be fully operational and helps thousands of Haitians each year.
Back home he was instrumental in helping to set up a free dental clinic at the Gathering Place in St. John’s for the underserved.
His efforts over the years have brought the dental community in Newfoundland and Labrador together to help those in need. He has rallied members of the profession and the community to take action. He is an inspiration and a friend and a mentor to many. His passion for his profession is evident in all that he does and in doing so he has strengthened the dental community to positively impact those in need.
Click on the videos below to watch recipient acceptance speeches and tune in next week to hear from more CDA Award recipients!
