L-R: Gus Reed, Lois Miller and Kevin Murphy, Board Members of the James McGregor Stewart Society with Dr. Linda Campbell and Kayla MacKinnon.
Congratulations to Dr. Linda Campbell, co-winner of the 2026 James McGregor Stewart Award. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of individuals living with a disability.
Dr. Campbell is a Professor and Senior Research Fellow at Saint Mary’s University and Chair of the Department of Environmental Science. A staunch advocate for persons with disabilities, she was influential in having the Accessibility Act passed in Nova Scotia in 2017, and she received a Human Rights Award for her efforts. In 2026, she was also ranked the No. 1 deaf researcher in the world.
She shares the award with wheelchair basketball athlete and coach Kayla MacKinnon, who won a gold medal for Canada at the Youth Parapan American Games last year.
“The James McGregor Stewart Award recognizes decades of work to prevent and remove barriers for people who live with disabilities,” says Dr. Linda Campbell. “This type of recognition lifts voices that aren’t always heard and I’m proud to share the award with Kayla MacKinnon, who is an impressive and inspiring member of the next generation of advocates.”
The James McGregor Stewart Award was established in 2015 through the Community Foundation of Nova Scotia. It honours the accomplishments of James McGregor Stewart, a lawyer in this province who overcame many barriers.