Lynne Innes Recognized for Contributions to Healthcare

Lynne Innes, President and CEO of the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA), has been recognized with a Premier’s Award in the health sciences category. This award acknowledges her efforts to enhance healthcare quality and accessibility in the western James Bay and Hudson Bay regions of Ontario. The Premier’s Awards honor college graduates who have significantly contributed to Ontario’s education system, industries, and communities.

Lynne Innes, a nursing graduate from Northern College and a member of the Moose Cree First Nation, is noted for being the first Indigenous woman to lead a large health authority in Canada. Her initiatives at WAHA include introducing the first CAT scan machine and portable MRI to the region, as well as organizing 200 vaccine clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Innes also contributes as a Board Director for the Ontario Hospital Association and teaches medical professionals in remote areas.

The award was presented by Nolan Quinn, Minister of Colleges and Universities, and Maureen Adamson, interim President and CEO of Colleges Ontario. Innes expressed her gratitude for the recognition, emphasizing the impact of college education in shaping careers and communities.