Natalie Fish - President

Natalie Fish is currently assistant head of physiotherapy services at the Lindsay Pavilion of the Institut de réadaptation Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal, in Montreal, Québec. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in physiotherapy and is currently completing a diploma in management and organisational development with the Université Laval. She has been involved with the rehabilitation of amputees for over 25 years and was a founding member of the Association Québecoise des Intervenants auprès des Personnes Amputées (AQIPA) in 1995. Natalie brought the Amputee Coalition of America’s Peer Visitor Program to Canada in 2005, and helped found the Amputee Coalition of Canada in 2008.

Carole Tardif - Vice-president

Carole Tardif is currently physiotherapist at the Institut de réadaptaion Gingras-Lindsay-de-Montréal. She obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in physiotherapy and has been involved with the rehabilitation of persons with limb loss for over 10 years. She is presently on the Board of the Association Québécoise des Intervenants auprès des personnes amputées (AQIPA). She has been involved in the implementation of the Peer Visitor Program across Canada and was a co-founder of the Amputee Coalition of Canada in 2008.

Virginia Krapiec - Secretary

Virginia Krapiec worked for many years with the Federal Government in Vancouver, BC. Since surviving osteosarcoma and a hemipelvectomy in 1995 Virginia has moved on to giving back. She is a volunteer member of the Ethics Committee for the GF Strong and George Pearson Centres. Virginia is a certified Peer Visitor/Trainer and has co-taught courses in Vancouver and Edmonton. She also shares her expertise and leadership skills assisting with the both amputee and other rehabilitation groups within the GF Strong Rehab Centre and around the Province of British Columbia.

Denis Gagné - Treasurer

Denis Gagné has been working as an Accountant since he graduated from the International Accountant Society in Chicago in 1957. An amputee since 2004, he became a Peer Visitor in Minneapolis in 2006. He has since been coordinating a support group in Montreal. He participated in the implementation of the Peer visitor Program in the Montreal area and with his business and accounting expertise has contributed to the development of the Amputee Coalition of Canada.

Paul Franklin - Administrator

Master Corporal Paul Franklin joined the Canadian military in 1999 and was posted to 1 Field Ambulance in Edmonton, Alberta as a company Emergency Medical Technician. Trained in Basic Traumatic Life Support, Advanced First Aid, and Stress Intervention De-briefer, Paul used his skills and experience to organize the Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) courses and Advanced Combat Related First Aid .

During his second tour to Afghanistan June 05 to Jan 06, a suicide bomber attacked the convoy Paul was traveling in. Upon return to Canada, after much deliberation Paul’s right leg was amputated, a life saving decision that made him a double above the knee amputee.

In rehabilitation Paul was thriving and thus began his journey down a new path in life, helping other amputees. Paul co-founded the Northern Alberta Amputee Program (NAAP) and the Franklin Foundation…”with the mandate to improve the life and care of all amputees.”

Paul became the first military Peer Visitor in Canada in 2006 and has since supported the implementation of the Peer Visitor Program across Canada.

Alexandra Kulik - Administrator

Alexandra Kulik has been working as a psychologist with the Amputee Program at Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec in Quebec City since 2001. In 2005, she hosted the first Peer Visitor Training Course in Quebec City. She then coordonnated a pilot project on peer visits to evaluate the level of satisfaction for both visitees and visitors, which being conclusive, lead to the implementation of the Peer Visitor Program in Canada. She has been a Board member of AQIPA, the Quebec association for amputee care, since 2004 and joined the Amputee Coalition of Canada in 2008.