Enid Graham Memorial Lecture
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association is honored to announce Luc J. Hébert as the recipient of the 2025 Enid Graham Memorial Lecture Award!
The Enid Graham Memorial Lecture Award is the most prestigious award that the CPA bestows on a member. Established in 1980 to honor Enid Graham, the founder of the CPA (formerly known as the Canadian Association of Massage and Remedial Gymnastics), the award honors a member of the CPA who has provided outstanding leadership and has made a distinguished contribution to the profession.
2025 Enid Graham Memorial Lecture Award Recipient
Luc J. Hébert
The Canadian Physiotherapy Association is honored to announce Luc J. Hébert as the recipient of the 2025 Enid Graham Memorial Lecture Award!
The Enid Graham Memorial Lecture Award is the most prestigious award that the CPA bestows on a member. Established in 1980 to honour Enid Graham, the founder of the CPA (formerly known as the Canadian Association of Massage and Remedial Gymnastics), the award honours a member of the CPA who has provided outstanding leadership and has made a distinguished contribution to the profession.
Luc’s journey to practising physiotherapy began in 1982, when he obtained his bachelor’s degree in Physiotherapy at the University of Montreal. He later went on to receive his master’s degree in biomedical sciences in 1989. In 2001, Luc received his PhD in Experimental Medicine from Laval University, where he focused on musculoskeletal disorders and rehabilitation.
Luc committed a large part of his career to the military, serving in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) as a physiotherapy officer providing physiotherapy care to Canadian military personnel for 14 years, and as the National Physiotherapy Training Director for an additional 14 years. Under his leadership, a direct access practice model was implemented in 30 military bases in Canada and overseas to provide high-quality physiotherapy care both in garrison and during operational deployments. Luc has played a pivotal role in shaping the standards, quality, and accessibility of physiotherapy care provided to military personnel across the globe, and his expertise has been sought both by the Ministry of National Defense and by NATO to develop standards of care in a military context.
Luc is a well-recognized physiotherapy leader in Quebec. In 2014, he co-founded the Quebec Physiotherapy Association, uniting the profession in Quebec to focus on a shared mandate. A decade later, in 2024, the Association introduced the Luc J. Hébert Prize, its highest honour, to recognize Luc’s exceptional impact on the evolution of physiotherapy in the province. And in June of 2025, Luc was appointed as the President of the College of physiotherapists of Quebec – Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec (OPPQ).
Luc’s profound and humanistic vision is what sets him apart. He sees physiotherapy not as a mere discipline, but as a tool for improving the quality of life for all, including, and especially, vulnerable populations. He is a passionate professor at Université Laval who has trained several generations of physiotherapists, and his ability to build bridges between research, clinical practice, and the community has influenced physiotherapy care delivery on a global scale.
The list of Luc’s accomplishments and contributions is extensive. He has won multiple prestigious awards and has been the recipient of many distinguished honors — all while embodying the spirit and living out the founding values of Enid Graham. Luc is an exceptional leader, visionary, and humanitarian who has demonstrated his ability to instigate profound impact far beyond personal career ambitions. His inspiring influence will continue to be felt for generations to come.
Luc will be honored at CPA’s 2026 Congress, and the Enid Graham Award recipient lecture will be held on Friday, May 29, 2026, from 2:30–3:30 pm.
The 2026 CPA Congress will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, from May 29–30 at the Halifax Convention Center. You can review the full schedule and details of our program here and register here. We look forward to seeing you there!