Marie-Lou Gendron (psychology)
When Marie-Lou Gendron (she/her) was hired as an activity worked at Broadmead Care Society’s Beckley Farm Lodge, she had two main goals for her co-op work term: 1) develop her interpersonal skills, and 2) leave a positive legacy that would continue after her co-op ended.
The psychology student was able to accomplish both goals during her four months at Broadmead Care. As she settled into her role of facilitating activities to engage residents, she noticed that they almost all had photos of dogs in their rooms and would often speak about how much they missed being pet owners.
A UVic Changemaker Award runner-up
Marie-Lou is one of the runners-up of the 2026 UVic Changemaker Awards, which celebrate co-op students who have made significant contributions to their workplace, community and/or to their own personal learning.
Championing a pet therapy initiative
Since this long-term care home did not allow pets, Marie-Lou reached out to the Pacific Animal Therapy Society to set up bi-weekly visits to the lodge. Soon, a volunteer dog owner and their trained therapy black labrador named Stevie were making regular trips to connect with residents.
“During the pet visits, residents living with the most severe health conditions and limited mobility spent a lot of time with Stevie,” says Marie-Lou. “When they saw the dog, residents who usually lay in bed all day would get up, laugh, bend over, touch Stevie with both hands, and then spontaneously recall stories with detailed names, places and events.
“Out of the 30+ activities I facilitated during my co-op, this one had such positive outcomes. Pet therapy turned out to be simple, cost-effective and highly beneficial, promoting inclusion and equity for the most vulnerable.”
A personal impact
This experience left a significant and lasting personal impact on Marie-Lou, who says she learned that it’s possible to turn curiosity into innovation, and that constructive leadership and lasting legacies can be left by anyone who dares to set them up, no matter where one is in a hierarchy or how temporary a position might be.
The pet therapy programming also left a positive impact on her co-workers—after each visit, residents’ and staff moods were happy and collaborative, which made any tasks that followed easier to accomplish.
A benefit for community
This ongoing win-win partnership also left a significant and lasting impact on the wider community—funding of both organizations depends in good part on participant attendance. As of June 2026, the frequency of the pet visits has doubled to weekly because of the outstanding positive benefits it provides.
“Witnessing the great benefits of this program motivated me to ensure that this activity could be ongoing after my co-op ended in December 2025, and that a replacement therapist/dog team was in place in case the current team had to skip visits,” says Marie-Lou.