2026 EKO Tribute Award for Excellence

Dr. Ronald Garth Smith’s legacy is not only in the systems he helped shape and the research he advanced. It is also in the relationships he built—with families who felt heard, with colleagues who grew under his guidance, and with communities who came to trust his presence and care. Dr. Smith’s impact can be seen in the countless children and families whose journeys were made lighter, and in the generations of clinicians who carry forward his values. His influence endures—in practice, in people, and in the quieter moments of care where compassion, curiosity, and partnership matter most.

Garth Smith shaped clinical care, and along with it the philosophy, culture, and systems that support children with developmental needs and their families. His work spanned clinical innovation, teaching, research, and provincial leadership, extending across Ontario into national and international practice. He is widely recognized for advancing a family-centred approach to care long before it became standard practice.

Dr. Smith led the evolution of KidsInclusive Centre for Child & Youth Development, now part of Kingston Health Sciences, into a model of interdisciplinary, collaborative care where physicians, therapists, psychologists, educators, and social workers contribute equally to improving outcomes for children and youth.

His scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications on autism, neuromuscular disorders, developmental disabilities, and system navigation. He served in numerous leadership roles within the Canadian Paediatric Society, informed both clinical practice and policy, improved data collection, and connected Canadian patients to global research efforts.

As an associate professor at Queen’s University, Dr. Smith trained generations of medical students, residents, and fellows. Many clinicians across the province and beyond attribute their approach to developmental care to his mentorship and teaching.

His practice, advocacy, and unwavering commitment to innovation has ensured care is not only clinically effective, but also accessible, responsive, and grounded in real-world experiences, for instance families facing complex transitions such as military relocation or shaping more coordinated services for medically fragile children across the province. His pioneering approach to assessment emphasizes understanding children in natural, meaningful contexts—recognizing that observation through play and real-life interaction can provide richer insight than standardized tools alone.

These contributions have fundamentally shaped how developmental care is delivered across the broader sector.

Perhaps the most deeply impactful aspect of Dr. Smith’s career is his longstanding commitment to children and families in Northern and remote Indigenous communities. His decades of service with Weeneebayko General Hospital in Moose Factory and in communities along the James Bay Coast provided consistent, specialized developmental pediatric care in regions where access to such expertise is extremely limited.

With a commitment to understanding broader social and cultural factors influencing developmental health—including the impacts of trauma, access barriers, and system inequities—Dr. Smith worked alongside local healthcare providers, educators, residents, and families to strengthen sustainable, community-informed care. Placing equitable care and the spirit of Truth and Reconciliation at the forefront, and with trust and respect, Coastal Indigenous communities achieved improved access to timely, compassionate, contextually appropriate care, making certain kids and families are not left behind due to where they live.

Dr. Smith’s commitment to equity, reconciliation, and inclusion is a model for extending specialized pediatric care to underserved populations.

I'm overwhelmed with emotion by this description of my career doing what I truly love! With all my heart, I want to thank Empowered Kids Ontario for finding me worthy of this.

It seems strange to be receiving the EKO Tribute Award for Excellence when I feel it has been the amazing teams that I have been honoured to work with over the past 30+ years that have helped through their encouragement and support achieve what I have achieved. In the North it has been a similar though smaller team, but I have to give special kudos to an amazing untiring OT, Jessica Carter, who helped me settle into what was for me highly unfamiliar territory and understand the uniqueness of their struggles and impact this has had on their interactions with non-indigenous people. I am now fully accepted in those communities, and have, I believe earned their trust.

I loved all that I do and have done but the James Bay communities have a special place in my heart.