Honouring Maureen Lacroix on the Journée des Franco-Ontariens

Posted on September 23, 2025

Established in 2007 by the Groupe consultatif francophone, the Maureen Lacroix Francophone Community Bursary is awarded to aid Francophone medical students at NOSM University

A testament to the kinship, resilience, and the importance of Northern Ontario’s Francophone community, the Maureen Lacroix Francophone Community Bursary at NOSM University is made possible by generous donors.

Established in 2007, this Bursary aims to alleviate the financial challenges that many Francophone students face. An investment in the future of Francophone health professionals, the bursary embodies Maureen Lacroix’s devotion to the Francophone community through her life and work.

Strengthening access to care in regions where Francophone culture and language play a crucial role is of great importance; the bursary sets out to accomplish just that.

Maureen was a force in the health-care sector and a fierce advocate for the Francophone and Northern Ontario community. A registered nurse by profession, she was instrumental in the establishment of Sudbury’s Cancer Treatment Centre during her time as a member of the Sudbury-Manitoulin District Health Council. She was the first female board member on Health Sciences North’s (formerly Laurentian Hospital) board, as well as the first woman to chair the Laurentian University Board of Governors.

« J’ai toujours été passionnée et déterminée à faire progresser les soins de santé dans le Nord, a dit Mme Lacroix. Mes racines sont dans le Nord de l’Ontario et j’ai réalisé très tôt dans mon expérience dans les soins de santé que la disponibilité des soins de santé dans le Nord pour les gens du Nord était essentielle pour avancer le bien-être de la communauté dans son ensemble et pour assurer un meilleur accès et une meilleure réponse aux soins. Cette Bourse sert à cette fin en attirant et en retenant les étudiants francophones en médecine dans le Nord. »

“I have always been passionate and determined to advance healthcare in the North,” said Lacroix. My roots are in Northern Ontario, and I realized early on in my healthcare experience that the availability of healthcare in the North for Northerners was essential to advancing the well-being of the community as a whole and ensuring better access and response to care. This Bursary serves this purpose by attracting and retaining Francophone medical students in the North.”

A strong voice for women’s health and social wellbeing, Maureen helped establish the first social housing projects for women in Sudbury, including the Northern Regional Recovery Home for Women and Genevra House. Outside of her work in health care and community activism, she helped bolster her community’s arts and culture scene through her work with the Sudbury Theatre Centre.

In 2010, Maureen was recognized for her commitment to the community, receiving a Woman of Distinction Award from the YWCA. Then in 2017, she received an honorary Doctorate of Sacred Letters from the University of Sudbury. Maureen’s bursary, held at NOSM University, is yet another recognition of her incredible legacy as a passionate health-care provider, advocate, and community leader.

“We are so grateful to the Francophone community who share Maureen Lacroix’s vision through their generous contributions to this community-funded bursary,” says Danielle Barbeau-Rodrigue, Director, Francophone Affairs at NOSM University. “Providing support for the next generation of Francophone health-care professionals in the North is much needed to create a safe, sustainable, and healthy future for Franco-Ontarians.”

Donations to the Maureen Lacroix Francophone Community Bursary can be made online through NOSM University’s Website or by contacting NOSM University’s Advancement Office at advancementcoordinator@nosm.ca. Every donation helps in creating opportunities for Francophone NOSM University medical students.

Full-time Francophone medical students at NOSM University are encouraged to apply for the Maureen Lacroix Francophone Community Bursary. The recipient must be a Francophone resident of a Northern, rural, or remote Ontario community for a minimum of 10 years and demonstrate financial need.