Pam McConnell will be remembered as a tireless advocate for women’s rights and social justice in the City of Toronto. She was a member of Toronto City Council from 1994 to 2017 and was the former Chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Standing Committee on Increasing Women’s Participation in Municipal Government. She was the Champion for the City of Toronto’s Protégée Program, a mentorship program matching young women with City Councillors intending to increase women’s representation in electoral politics.
The Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership was created in 2018 in memory of the late Deputy Mayor, who passed away in the fall of 2017. Throughout her career, Pam McConnell was a social justice advocate and worked tirelessly to increase women’s participation in municipal government. She was the Champion for the City of Toronto’s Protégée Program, a mentorship program matching young women with City Councillors and City staff intending to increase women’s representation in electoral politics.
In an effort to honour Pam McConnell’s legacy the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC) has collaborated with the Youth Development Unit to present this annual award. The award is open to young Toronto women, between the ages of 16 and 29, who demonstrate exceptional leadership, a commitment to social justice and inspire other young women.
The Award is open to young women residing in the City of Toronto, between the ages of 16 and 29 upon the application deadline who:
The 2025 Pam McConnell Awards were presented at a ceremony on March 7, 2025 at Toronto City Hall. The awards were presented by Mayor Olivia Chow, Heather Ann McConnell, and the Toronto Youth Cabinet.
Angelika is receiving the Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership for combining academic brilliance with a passion for social impact and for being a leader and advocate dedicated to equity, financial literacy and educational within underserved communities. Barriers have not deterred Angelika from forging positive change.
Angelika is currently serving as a twice-elected Student Trustee for the Toronto District School Board and proudly advocates for over 235,000 students. In this role she has been a catalyst for several key initiatives, including a joint historic motion which resulted in over $2 million in funding to support youth hubs, anti-violence programs, and student nutrition.
Angelika’s advocacy for menstrual equity played a pivotal role in securing the renewal of Ontario’s Menstrual Equity Initiative, which resulted in increased access to free menstrual products in schools.
She is the first Black person to hold a national position at FBL Canada, the largest student business organization in Canada and Target Alpha, Canada’s leading student financial literacy organization.
Angelika also collaborated with the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association to support the province’s first mandated equity certification for Kindergarten to Grade 12 educators, inspired by her participatory research on Black student outcomes with the TDSB’s Centre of Excellence for Black Student Achievement.
Aishane is receiving this award for her exceptional leadership that is centered in a deeply rooted commitment to social justice and for inspiring hundreds of volunteers, building strong partnerships and secured funding to sustain programs that are making a difference empowering youth and promoting equity.
As a first-generation Canadian, whose upbringing was influenced by the Tamil genocide, Aishane is dedicated to fostering equitable access to resources, addressing systemic barriers, and empowering marginalized communities. Currently, she is the Program Supervisor at the Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action, where she supports programs promoting cultural recognition and social justice of Tamils.
While the General Manager of the Education Bank, Aishane managed transformative programs and operations that served over 1600 (sixteen hundred) low-income youth monthly with educational resources, school supplies and learning opportunities.
As Associate Executive Director of Youth Rising Above, she volunteers her time to implement the organizations’ strategic plan that provides marginalized youth access to mentorship, skills, and personal development programs, as well as peer mental health support.
We would like to extend a very gracious thank you to Heather Ann for her support and honoring the legacy of her mother, Pam McConnell.
Thank you to the Selection Committee which was comprised of Heather Ann McConnell, community leaders, members from the Toronto Youth Cabinet and City staff.
Previous Award Recipients
| Award Recipient | Year |
| Tara Currie | 2023 |
| Hanen Nanaa | |
| Hannia Cheng | 2020 |
| Fatoumat Jikineh | |
| Alyssa Luttenberger | 2019 |
| Ishita Aggarwal | |
| Talisha Ramsaroop | 2018 |
| Yusra Khogali |