Linda Dollard will conclude her mandate as President of the National Council of Canada in June 2027. Voting will take place from January 4 to 17, 2027, with a potential runoff (if necessary, between the two leading candidates) scheduled for February 1 to 14, 2027.
The election of the President of the National Council of Canada will be conducted electronically. To receive your voting link, please complete the registration form below and provide your name and email address.
Only registered Presidents will receive a non-shareable voting link.
As stated in the Rule Book, each Aggregated Conference and Instituted Council is entitled to one vote. Each person may hold only one President position and cast only one vote. Where a Conference has co-Presidents, they do not each hold a separate vote.
If your Conference or Council does not currently have a President eligible to vote, or if you wish to designate another member to cast the vote on your behalf, please check the appropriate box in the registration form.
National President Election Candidates Share Their Vision
Missed our Meet the Candidates webinar on October 17? You can still watch the recording!
Discover the candidates’ visions, priorities, and hopes for the future of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul National Council of Canada. The webinar also includes a Q&A session featuring questions from the audience. Simultaneous French translation was provided.
Take this opportunity to learn more about the candidates and help inform your decision in the upcoming election.
- Watch the Recording here
- Please use passcode: +JU@3fQC
The Nominating Committee has selected three candidates for the position of President of the National Council of Canada. Each candidate presented their vision at the June 2026 National Assembly.
Get to know the candidates! Click on their names below to read notes from their speeches and learn more about their visions and priorities for the future of the Society.
As announced during the 2025 Annual General Assembly, Linda Dollard will conclude her mandate as President in 2027. The time has come to consider candidates for the position of President of the National Council of Canada.
The format, timelines, and candidate eligibility considerations are as follows and taken from the Canadian Statutes and Rule of the Society in Canada (2.6.5).
Only members of Aggregated Conferences and Instituted Councils are eligible as candidates or nominators.
The Role and Responsibilities of the National President can be found in Section 2.6.7 of the Canadian Statutes and Rule.
The term of office for a National Council President is 4 years, with the possibility of a 2-year renewal (Canadian Statutes and Rule Section 2.3).
This is a generic form to be filled out by candidates and nominators for the election of a president of a conference or council. The required number of nominators for each nomination increases with the level of responsibilities and the geographic area of a jurisdiction. All nominators shall be full members of the Society within the jurisdiction for which an election is held. Only members of aggregated conferences and instituted councils are eligible as candidates or nominators.
The number of nominators is as follows:
National council: 5 nominators
1.2 QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates for the election for president, at all levels, shall meet a number of requirements and should possess certain desirable qualities and skills.
1.2.1 Requirements
A candidate must be:
- a full member of the Society;
- a Catholic;
- a volunteer, which means that he or she does not hold any paid position within the Society, including a position in any of the special works.
1.2.2 Desirable qualities and skills
Each section of the Canadian Statutes dealing with the duties of the president at the different levels provides guidance concerning the basic qualities and skills required for a member to assume the responsibilities of a president.
1.2.2.1 Qualities
A candidate must have:
- a deep attachment to the Canadian Rule and Statutes and spirituality of the Society;
- great dedication to the spiritual and temporal welfare of persons in need;
- experience in the service of persons in need, particularly in relation to home visits;
- a personal interest in social issues;
- the ability to lead by consensus whenever possible;
- good communication and listening skills;
- sound judgement.
1.2.2.2 Other Skills
The candidate should also possess:
- knowledge and appreciation of financial matters, such as budgeting;
- experience in organizing and chairing meetings and committees;
- experience in fundraising.
ASSET:
A working knowledge of both official languages would be an asset.
The completed Nomination Form shall be emailed to election@ssvp.ca or mailed to the Election Committee – National Council of Canada Office, 2463 Innes Road, Ottawa, ON, K1B 3K3.
FORMS: