Toronto audiologist Emilie Vos, AuD, placed second runner-up at Miss Universe Canada 2026, using the national competition to bring greater attention to hearing healthcare, newborn hearing screening and hearing conservation.
Vos finished among the top three delegates in the competition and was also named a Top Five Humanitarian finalist and finished among the Top Three in the People’s Choice vote. The event marked her first pageant competition.
Throughout the competition, Vos made hearing health a central part of her platform, drawing on her work as an audiologist and her experience helping patients with hearing loss.
“I pursued my career as a doctor of audiology, one out of 60 doctors of audiology across Canada, and I am so proud that I’m able to serve patients and reconnect them with the world through hearing, reconnect them with their loved ones, to sound. I am honoured to be standing on this national stage for the first time in my life, my first ever pageant. And I want to inspire younger generations, that little girl that would have never thought she could be here tonight, because when we empower women, we become limitless and we work together and we build future generations. And I believe that if we work together, we can get there. Thank you.”
Bringing Hearing Health to a National Audience
Vos earned her Doctor of Audiology degree with honours from Nova Southeastern University and completed her clinical residency at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City. She currently practices at Hearing Solutions in downtown Toronto and serves as a Director of the Canadian Academy of Doctors of Audiology.
According to the release, Vos has worked with more than 6,000 patients during her career. Her interest in hearing healthcare was shaped in part by watching her grandfather experience hearing loss followed by dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, reinforcing her interest in the relationship between hearing, cognitive health and healthy aging.
During Miss Universe Canada, Vos said she wanted to bring audiology into a setting where hearing healthcare is rarely part of the broader public conversation. Her platform emphasized the role of hearing in communication, relationships, social participation and quality of life.
Newborn Hearing Screening Takes Center Stage
Hearing healthcare became particularly prominent during the final competition when Vos was asked what she would guarantee for every child born in Canada.
She chose newborn hearing screening, explaining that babies can go undiagnosed when screening is missed, appropriate personnel are unavailable or families live in rural communities. She emphasized the importance of identifying and supporting children with hearing loss as early as possible.
Following the competition, Vos said she would broaden that goal to include access to language for every child, whether signed, spoken or both. She also emphasized providing families with balanced information, timely resources and a full range of communication options following identification of hearing loss.
The event also offered an unexpected example of hearing conservation when the reigning Miss Universe Canada appeared onstage with her infant wearing protective earmuffs. Vos highlighted the moment as a practical demonstration of the importance of protecting children’s hearing in loud environments.
Continuing Hearing Health Advocacy
Vos said hearing health advocacy will remain a focus following the competition. Her plans include speaking at schools and universities, engaging with community organizations and policymakers, and raising awareness of newborn hearing screening, hearing conservation, language access and healthy aging.
She is also developing a longer-term hearing healthcare initiative aimed at underserved communities, with a focus on expanding access to screening and care through sustainable local partnerships.
Alongside her clinical work, Vos has contributed to research on tinnitus management and has worked as a guest speaker and public educator focused on making hearing healthcare more visible and accessible.
“I cannot thank my support system — my coaches, friends, family and colleagues — enough for helping me reach this moment. Every person who offered their time, expertise, encouragement or belief in me became part of this journey, and I could not have done it without them.”
About Emilie Vos, AuD
Emilie Vos, AuD, is a Toronto audiologist, speaker and hearing healthcare advocate who practices at Hearing Solutions in downtown Toronto. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences from Western University and a Doctor of Audiology degree with honours from Nova Southeastern University and completed her clinical residency at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Her clinical interests include diagnostic audiology, hearing rehabilitation and cognitive health. She serves as a Director of the Canadian Academy of Doctors of Audiology and has contributed to peer-reviewed research on tinnitus management.
