Noreen Taylor, C.M.

Noreen Taylor is the founder of the former Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC Taylor Prize (2000–2020), which championed the art of non-fiction writing in Canada over 20 years. She has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to the arts and arts education, first by teaching art and art history, then overseeing the Claude Watson School for the Arts (at Earl Haig Collegiate Institute) as its founding Artistic Director. In recent years, Noreen’s leadership has enriched the work of several cultural boards, as manifested in her past positions as Chair of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Canadian Stage. She is a current board member of the National Ballet of Canada, the Gardiner Museum, and a member of the Canadian Curatorial Committee of the Art Gallery of Ontario. In 2015, Noreen was appointed to the Order of Canada for her engagement and contributions to our artistic communities.

Strengthening health care is the other passion that occupies Noreen’s attention. Following the lengthy care of her late husband Charles, she became committed to patient care – first as a community representative for Cancer Care Ontario, then as a force behind the creation of a Palliative Care Centre at Sunnybrook Hospital, and now as the Board Chair of SE Health, a not-for-profit social enterprise and one of the largest home care providers in Canada. In 2021, Noreen was awarded an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Ontario Tech University, where she served as Chancellor from 2016 to 2020. In addition to her extensive community service, Noreen is also the President of Windfields Farm Limited.