CPAC Announces 2026 Recipients of Achievement Awards

Toronto, February 17, 2026 – The Chinese Professionals Association of Canada (CPAC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Professional Achievement Award (PAA) and Young Achiever Award (YAA). These prestigious honours recognize outstanding individuals within the Chinese Canadian community whose accomplishments, leadership, and service have made a meaningful impact in Canada and beyond. After months of nominations and thoughtful deliberation, CPAC is proud to celebrate this year’s exceptional award recipients.

Professional Achievement Award

Established in 2009, the CPAC Professional Achievement Award recognizes immigrant professionals who have attained outstanding success and distinction in their respective fields while serving as inspiring role models within the community.

2026 Recipient: Brigitte Shim

Brigitte Shim is an internationally renowned architect, educator, and advocate for diversity and inclusion in architecture. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in Toronto, she studied at the University of Waterloo before co-founding Shim-Sutcliffe Architects in 1994 with Howard Sutcliffe. Their distinguished practice is known for its innovative and thoughtful work across architecture, landscape, and design, creating projects that range from art galleries and sacred spaces—including a Daoist temple and a synagogue—to assisted living facilities, urban hotels, and site-specific residential projects. Their work has also received international commissions in Hong Kong, Honolulu, Moscow, and the French Alps.

Shim-Sutcliffe Architects is widely regarded as one of Canada’s most respected design practices, celebrated for its poetic integration of architecture with the natural environment and for its meticulous attention to material and spatial experience. The firm has received an extraordinary 16 Governor General’s Medals and Awards for Architecture, one of the country’s highest recognitions for design excellence.

In addition to her professional practice, Shim is a full professor at the University of Toronto’s Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape & Design and has held visiting professorships at leading institutions including Yale University, Harvard University, the Cooper Union, the University of Auckland, and EPFL in Switzerland. A dedicated advocate for design excellence and gender equity in the profession, she has served on numerous international design juries, including the Master Jury for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture, and has played a founding role in initiatives advancing equality and mentorship in architecture across Canada.

In recognition of their extraordinary contributions to Canadian architecture, Shim and Sutcliffe were appointed Members of the Order of Canada and awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2021, they received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Gold Medal, the highest honour in Canadian architecture.

Young Achiever Award

The CPAC Young Achiever Award recognizes an outstanding individual aged 29 or younger for notable professional, business, or community contributions and for demonstrating meaningful positive social impact locally or internationally.

2026 Recipient: Rebecca Wu

Rebecca Wu is a third-year medical student at the University of Toronto whose work spans healthcare innovation, medical education, student wellbeing, and community leadership. Her research in neuroscience and aging includes a first-author publication in Alzheimer’s & Dementia and presentations at international conferences. She also contributes to clinical innovation through 1Stroke, a global platform that simplifies acute stroke protocols to improve frontline care.

Rebecca is actively advancing AI education among medical trainees across Canada and has led initiatives that expand access to AI literacy and interdisciplinary learning. She has also played key roles in student wellness initiatives, including organizing a province-wide medical student retreat and supporting programs that reach hundreds of learners annually.

Demonstrating a strong commitment to community wellbeing, Rebecca co-founded Namaste, a free yoga and mindfulness program serving low-income families, and continues to support initiatives that help youth transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.

CPAC extends its sincere appreciation to all nominators, community members, and selection committee members for their dedication to recognizing excellence within our community.

The 2026 Achievement Awards will be presented at the 2026 CPAC Annual Gala on Saturday, February 28, 2026, at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre & Spa. The evening will feature introductory videos of the recipients, formal award presentations, and acceptance speeches.

CPAC warmly invites community members, professionals, and supporters of all ages to join this inspiring celebration of achievement, connection, and cultural pride.

For tickets and event details, please visit:
https://cpac-canada.ca/gala/