The Matthew Manuel Memorial Award

Matthew Manuel was a CLAC member when his young life was tragically cut short in October 2013. His life was rich and full of the energy and ideals that we admire in young people. Matthew also struggled with substance use, and although Matthew was able to maintain a clean and sober lifestyle for a period of time, he died on a construction site in the Fort McMurray area after relapsing. His experience underscores the importance of remaining vigilant in recovery and recommitting to sobriety on a daily basis.

CLAC recognizes the courage Matthew modelled in his sobriety and it is our hope that by highlighting his story, other substance users may recognize and understand the deadly nature of problematic substance use and seek to make lasting changes to break the cycle.


The Matthew Manuel Memorial Award (MMMA) was created to honour Matthew’s life and to honour his family’s commitment to helping others who face similar challenges. 


The Award

The MMMA will be awarded each year on the anniversary of Matthew’s passing. The successful candidate will be notified by the ADCM program staff. The winner’s name and accomplishment will not be shared with anyone unless the recipient wants the information shared to help others.


Award Amount: $1,000



Candidate Qualities



To qualify for this award, you must be a CLAC member who has completed a drug or alcohol treatment program, is cleared for work, and demonstrates a solid commitment to recovery and helping others who face similar challenges. The winner is expected to use the money for training or to further enhance their recovery efforts.



Award Process

Applicants and Nominations

To apply for the scholarship, please send a letter expressing your interest to adcm@clac.ca. In the letter, please let us know: 

  • how long you have been substance free,
  • the changes that you’ve made in your life as a result of being sober and clean,
  • what you do to help others who struggle with addiction, and
  • why you think you would be a suitable candidate to receive the scholarship monies.   

People familiar with a CLAC member’s sobriety can also nominate that member for the award by sending in a similar letter about the person you are nominating.


Applications can be submitted any time, but the deadline for applications each year is September 30. Email submissions to the Alcohol and Drug Case Management Team at adcm@clac.ca


Award Process

The successful candidate will be chosen by random draw of all qualified nominees.




Last Year’s Winner

Congratulations to Scottie G!


Scottie is the most recent winner of the Matthew Manual Memorial Award. Read Scottie’s story here.