COA Awards of Merit and Excellence
2008 Recipients

Marc J. Moreau, M.D., FRCSC
Past President, Canadian Orthopaedic Association
Edmonton, AB

Each year, the Executive of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association ponders collectively over potential recipients of the Awards of Excellence and Merit for the current year. This year, two outstanding candidates stood out from the crowd and were selected unanimously as this year's choices.

The "Award of Merit" honours an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the art and science of orthopaedics. Dr. Cecil H. Rorabeck's name has been synonymous with Canadian orthopaedics for over three decades. He was the President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, the Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society and the Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation. He has also served as a Vice-President (Education) for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He was a dedicated surgeon and researcher in total joint replacement, being one of the instigators and founders of the Canadian Joint Replacement Registry. Dr. Rorabeck was Orthopaedic Chair at the University of Western Ontario in London for ten years. He has published widely and contributed to many book chapters. Dr. Cec Rorabeck is indeed a most worthy recipient of the Award of Merit from the Canadian Orthopaedic Association.

The "Award of Excellence" recognizes a member of our association for their outstanding contributions to orthopaedic surgery in Canada. Dr. Carroll A. Laurin singled himself out by being the Programme Director for both the francophone Programme d'orthopédie Édouard Samson and the McGill University orthopaedic training programme. A former President of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association, Dr. Laurin contributed widely to Canadian orthopaedic research and training through his involvement at several committee levels. Dr. Laurin was keenly interested in sports medicine which led him to playing a significant role in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games where he was the Director of Medical Services. He published close to 100 scientific papers, but most importantly, authored a three-volume book titled, the Atlas of Orthopaedic Surgery in both French and English. On a personal note, Dr. Laurin was my Programme Director during my residency. His approach to life has been an inspiration to me throughout my practice. It gave me great pleasure to proffer the Award of Excellence to Dr. Carroll Laurin in Québec City this June, 2008.