The CSS Service Award: Recognizing a CSS member who makes exemplary contributions to the function and improvement of the Canadian Spine Society.

2026 CSS Service Award Recipient:
Dr. Scott Paquette, BScH BMedSc MEd MD FRCSC

Dr. Scott Paquette is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at UBC and a Spine Surgeon in the Combined Orthopedic and Neurosurgical Spine Program at the Vancouver General Hospital.  In addition to the work at VGH, he also works at St. Paul’s Hospital in the Neuromodulation Pain program.

Dr. Paquette is actively involved in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada as Chair of the new Spine AFC Specialty Committee and a member of the Neurosurgery Specialty committee.  He is the past president of the Canadian Spine Society and current UBC Spine Fellowship Director.

It was both a considerable honour and surprise to receive the first Canadian Spine Society Service Award. The Service Award should really be shared with the members of the CSS Education Committee for their work on the Royal College Spine AFC diploma program.  I’ve been a member of the Canadian Spine Society for as long as I’ve been a Spine Surgeon.

Over the past 22 years, I have found the CSS to be the society that best represented my own interests through outstanding support for not only clinical practice, but also research, teaching, education, and advocacy. While my residency training was in Neurosurgery, I had the great fortune to join the Vancouver General Hospital Spine program in 2004 where 100% of my time has been focused on spine surgery. The development of the VGH Combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Spine Program was, in retrospect, at the forefront of what I believe was the developing subspecialty of spine surgery in Canada. I’ve long held an interest in surgical education and after completing a master’s degree in Adult Education, I had the opportunity to join the CSS Executive as the Education Chair. Most members of the CSS will be aware of the years of work the Education Committee and other members of our society put into the Royal College project.  I’m particularly grateful for the support of Dr. Albert Yee for all his hard work on the Education Committee and the Royal College AFC Committee as our multi-year project goes live this year.   Canada should graduate its first Royal College diploma certified Spine Surgeons next year.

Following my involvement with the Education Committee, I have gone on to serve as the Secretary, Treasurer, and President of the CSS. I’ve now joined the CSREF Board along with all the other “dead” CSS presidents. The annual CSS meeting continues to be my favourite meeting of the year, and I look forward to seeing where the CSS, CSORN and CSREF go in years to come,

Scott