DR. ALIKA LAFONTAINE

Physician & anesthesiologist CANADIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.

BIO: Dr. Alika Lafontaine is an award-winning physician and the first Indigenous practitioner to be included on the list of Canada’s 50 Most Powerful Doctors. Born and raised in Treaty 4 territory in southern Saskatchewan, Dr. Lafontaine has Anishinaabe, Cree, Métis and Pacific Islander ancestry. But he learned early that while others may label you, only you can decide whether to accept them or not. Dr. Lafontaine was initially drawn to the medical profession by a desire to address the lack of health care resources in his community. He remained because of the trusting relationships he built with patients and colleagues. Dr. Lafontaine has held medical leadership positions for two decades. He is currently a council member at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and a board member of both Healthcarecan and the Alberta Medical Association. At the Canadian Medical Association, he chaired the governance council of the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) and served on various committees. And he has served as both vice-president and president of the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada. Dr. Lafontaine also co-led the Indigenous Health Alliance project, one of the most ambitious health transformation initiatives in Canadian history. The alliance, representing more than 150 First Nations, successfully advocated for $68 million in federal funding for Indigenous health in Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. In 2020, Dr. Lafontaine launched Safespace Networks, working with local Friendship Centres across British Columbia. Safespace provides an environment to anonymously report and identify patterns of care. Patients and providers use the platform to share experiences and contribute to system change without fear of retribution. Dr. Lafontaine cautions young professionals not to sacrifice life on the altar of the job and to remain steadfast – real change comes with persistence and is not always visible in the public realm.

BEST CAREER ADVICE: “Don’t sacrifice your life on the altar of medicine.” In a culture where we define ourselves by our jobs, I believe this has relevance outside of medicine as well.

IF I HAD CHOSEN A DIFFERENT CAREER PATH:

In grade school, I was labelled with a learning disability and told I wouldn’t amount to much. I discovered books were a place in my mind that were free from that label and fell in love with storytelling. On a different path, I could have been an author or a writer.