2010 COS Lifetime Achievement Award

This year we are honouring our colleague Dr. Pierre Labelle. From the outset, we must say that this is not Dr. Labelle's first Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS) award. In fact, several of us remember that he was the first recipient of the COS Eye Safety Medal.

This tribute to the important accomplishments in Dr. Labelle's career is a unique opportunity to recognize this surgeon-clinician esteemed by his patients, this professor appreciated by his residents, this research forerunner, skilled administrator, creative builder, committed human being, gentleman and friend. His peers and residents alike greatly appreciate his ethics and respect for others.

Dr. Labelle is a retinal disease specialist who completed his fellowship at Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri. He was licensed in Ophthalmology at the Université de Montréal faculty of medicine and has since practiced at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, where he was chair of the Ophthalmology department from 1989 to 1993 and from 1998 to 2007. He chaired the Université de Montréal ophthalmology department from 1992 to 2000 and presided over the Association des médecins ophtalmologistes du Québec from 1986 to 1988.

Dr. Labelle's creative ability is apparent in all of his commitments. In 1998 upon his initiative, the Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont Ophthalmology department became the Centre Michel-Mathieu Institut d'excellence en ophtalmologie, and the Antoine Turmel Foundation injected several million dollars into macular degeneration research there.

Under his direction, the university department has benefited from his exceptional contribution to creating the Fondation J.-Louis Lévesque Fonds de recherche en ophtalmologie de l'Université de Montréal (FROUM), which today is worth 7 million dollars. The Université de Montréal faculty of medicine development office has already honoured Dr. Labelle for this important achievement.

Dr. Labelle has written scientific articles and been involved in several research projects and clinical trials, is a professor and recognized speaker who has participated in numerous scientific events, including one upon the 1993 invitation from the Second People's Hospital of Jinan, China to teach various surgical techniques there. He recently contributed to the drafting and publication of the book Comprendre la dégénérescence maculaire, a Québec-France collaboration.

Dr. Labelle is an engaged citizen who has invested time and energy to make the wearing of face protectors mandatory for players in organized youth hockey leagues, resulting in the elimination of eye injuries in those leagues. The Régie de la sécurité dans les sports du Québec has also honoured him with the Sécuritas award for his involvement in the prevention of eye trauma in sports. Safety in sports is very important to Dr. Labelle, which is why he created the sports medicine review Médecine Sport, which was published from 1984 until December 2002.

In 2008, Dr. Pierre Labelle received the Médaille de carrière, the highest distinction that the Université de Montréal faculty of medicine grants to its professors. In 2009, he won the Prix reconnaissance du Conseil des médecins, dentistes et pharmaciens - Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont which is awarded annually to an active member whose Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont career has been especially noteworthy.

This year it is the COS' turn to honour Dr. Labelle, Médecin de coeur et d'action, whose many contributions greatly deserve the tribute and recognition we are demonstrating today.

Hélène Boisjoly, MD, MPH, FRCSC
Professor, ophthalmology department
Université de Montréal