Three Windsor-Essex residents have earned top honours in Ontario among 20 recipients for their exceptional volunteer service for 2024 and 2025. The Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal recognizes those whose leadership and exceptional volunteer service have left a lasting impact on their communities and helped build a stronger Ontario and Canada.

The three winners from Windsor are Stacey Robert-Tobin, an educator and fertility researcher; Dean Paul La Bute, an accessibility and health equity advocate; and Sam Sinjari, a philanthropist.

In 2017, Stacey Robert-Tobin, from Tecumseh, started Fertility Friends, a support group for women struggling with infertility, which now serves more than 800 individuals and families. She also contributes to national research and policy initiatives.

Dean Paul La Bute from Windsor was honoured for turning the loss of his vision at a young age into a lifelong effort to improve accessibility, health equity, and support for people who are often overlooked. For more than 60 years, he has taken on leadership roles with major organizations and has helped shape policies, improve support systems, and promote inclusion at the local, provincial, and national levels.

Sam Sinjari from Windsor was recognized for his work in improving community safety, supporting access to food, helping the environment, and leading non-profit efforts. As chair of the community service projects committee at the Rotary Club of Windsor 1918, he leads programs that support families, newcomers, and people in need.

You can view the entire list of 2024 and 2025 winners here.

Source: Pascal Hogue, Windsor Star