Select from the dropdown menu below to learn about the award categories.
BC Recreation and Parks Association is pleased to recognize outstanding programs, facilities, and parks whose ideas, innovation, and services make an impact in the recreation and parks sector.
Categories include:
- Facility Excellence
- for projects under $1 million in capital costs
- for projects over $1 million in capital costs
- Parks Excellence
- Program Excellence
- in communities under 15,000 population
- in communites over 15,000 population
Facility Excellence Award
The Facility Excellence Award recognizes outstanding facility design or redesign that reflects community culture. The facility spaces are accessible to all patrons, engage community members in design consultation, and ultimately improve the well-being of the community.
Nominations for this award with capital costs less than and greater than $1,000,000 ($1M) are submitted and reviewed separately.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominator or Applicant must be a BCRPA member.
- Nominee (the Facility) must be owned and operated by a currently enrolled Local Government, Affiliate, or Corporate Member.
- Whether renovated, refit, or new, the facility must be open for a minimum of one year following the launch.
- The facility can either be outdoor or indoor, but must be a physical structure.
The nomination period is now closed.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email.
Parks Excellence Award
The Parks Excellence Award recognizes outstanding design and development of park spaces using natural elements or repurposing materials. The park space reflects innovative community culture, which is accessible to all patrons, and encourages individuals and communities to get out into nature. The park positively impacts the well-being of the community and the recreation and parks sector.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominator or Applicant must be a BCRPA member.
- Nominee (the Park) must be owned and operated by a currently enrolled Local Government, Affiliate, or Corporate Member.
- The park must have been in existence for a minimum of one year.
The nomination period is now closed.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email.
Program Excellence Award
The Program Excellence award recognizes innovative programs that were successful in improving individual and community-level social and physical well-being. The program could serve as a model for other local governments or organizations to enhance their services.
Nominations for this award from communities with a population of less than and greater than 15,000 are submitted and reviewed separately.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominator or Applicant must be a BCRPA member.
- Nominee (the Program) must have been developed and administered by a currently enrolled Local Government, Affiliate, or Corporate Member.
The nomination period is now closed.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email.
BCRPA’s provincial Award of Merit provides recognition of an employee or elected official of a local government for their distinguished contributions and achievements in public recreation and parks. The award recipient has demonstrated acumen in strategic partnerships, forward and strategic thinking, and has designed a sustainable program or model to advance recreation and parks. Contributions and achievements of the nominee align with BCRPA’s purpose: to lead the enrichment of individuals and their communities through the power of recreation and parks.
This award is bestowed sparingly, due to the exceptional nature of the requirements.
The number of awards offered in any given year will be at the discretion of the Awards Committee, based on the strength of the nominations received. The Awards Committee further reserves the right not to make an award in any given year.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee must be from a BCRPA enrolled local government but need not be a member (e.g. Mayor, Council, Planner, CAO, etc).
- Nominator must be a BCRPA Member
Selection Guidelines:
- Sustained and meritorious effort over many years in the enhancement of local recreation and parks.
- Significant contribution to a broad range of recreation and parks services in a Community, Region or Special Interest Area.
- Promotion of recreation and parks among consumers of recreation services in the nominee’s service area.
- Initiation of a service or a method which is being widely utilized by other recreation and parks agencies at the municipal, regional, and/or special interest area level.
The nomination period is now closed.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email.
BCRPA’s Community Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding leader or organization that through their unique strengths and styles, effectively act and lead others working to build a healthier more vibrant community. The nominee responds to community needs by developing a vision for change that reflects shared values in the community and champions the power of recreation and parks.
This is an annual award. The nominee is not required to be a BCRPA member; the nominator must be a BCRPA member or a BCRPA enrolled local government member.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Nominee is an individuals or group in recreation and parks leadership from local government or the community at large (volunteers, business, agencies).
- Nominator must be a BCRPA Member.
Selection Guidelines:
- Provides innovative services or approaches to community challenges that elevate the value of recreation and parks services in their community.
- Develops and maintains coalitions that have resulted in community health benefits with key partners in the community.
- Develops sustainable partnerships that will allow for ongoing provision of innovative services.
- Builds on the physical, social, environmental and economic assets of the community to develop health and well-being.
- Demonstrated ability to support creativity and innovation among a team or group to overcome barriers. Open to ideas and changing the course as guided by others.
- A big picture thinker who is forward thinking which is important to affect lasting social change
The nomination period is now closed.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email.
Honorary Life Memberships are a special distinction conferred by BCRPA's Board of Directors upon Members who have made outstanding contributions to the recreation and parks sector.
Honorary Life membership is a meaningful recognition bestowed sparingly and only to those BCRPA Members who have made significant contributions to the BCRPA and/or the sector. The honour is awarded for the lifetime of the individual.
BCRPA’s Honorary Life Members receive:
- BCRPA Membership status for the lifetime of the individual
- An invitation to BCRPA’s Symposium
Honorary Life members are appointed on the basis of the following criteria:
- For individual members only – whether they be practitioner, academic, volunteer or staff person
- The nominated individual must have been a BCRPA Member but need not be a current member of BCRPA
- Should be retired from all official posts
- Longstanding, sustained and exceptional service and impact in the parks and recreation sector
- Outstanding contribution that required substantial and commendable personal input
Applications are to be submitted online and are to consist of:
- Evidence that the candidate has provided long-standing, sustained and exceptional service and impact
- Confirmation that the candidate is retired from remunerated employment in the recreation sector
- One letter of support from each of two nominators
- Letter(s) of support from others who can attest to the candidate's merit for this award
Selection Procedures:
- Members of BCRPA may submit nominations for Honorary Life Membership in the online form, for consideration by the Board of Directors.
- All matters relating to a nomination are confidential with only the final decision of the Board of Directors in favour of the nomination being announced publicly.
- The Board will review and deliberate all nominations obtained against the Criteria.
- The Board of Directors will be asked to vote on a motion to award an Honorary Life Membership. It must be passed by a unanimous resolution of those present and voting.
- Newly-appointed Honorary Life Members will receive recognition and a certificate of their membership status at the Annual General Meeting of the BCRPA, or other function at the Annual Symposium.
The nomination period is now closed.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email.
2020 Parks Excellence Award
Ray Kandola Heritage Pier is a 120 metre, wheelchair accessible, multi-use pier that runs parallel to Peachland’s downtown public waterfront. The innovative design and development of this open space, bordering the community’s central hub, Heritage Park, has removed long standing challenges to accessing the 13 kilometers of Peachland’s steep public waterfront along Okanagan Lake. The Pier now serves to enhance community culture by providing locals and visitors alike an accessible destination to enjoy a variety of activities and community events.
The project design, spearheaded by three local community groups – Peachland Sportsmen’s Association, Peachland Lions Club and Peachland Rotary Club, also involved planting new trees and shoreline restoration using native plant species, which has been a goal of the District since the community was impacted by large flooding in 2017.
The Pier now supports and promotes an active, integrated lifestyle, welcoming community members to walk, fish, socialize and interface with nature along the waterfront as the new hub of Peachland. With tourism as the main industry within the District, the Pier now supports new programs to thrive, such as providing free fishing rods to visitors through the Peachland Visitors Centre, providing unique and memorable recreation experiences for tourists and locals alike.
2020 Facility Excellence Award (for projects over $1 million)
The Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre (ACUCC) facility was created with the goal of supporting the inclusion of all genders, ages, and cultures within Langley’s 125,000+ residents, bringing four key recreation components together in one central location: an arena, community spaces, aquatics waterpark, and a playground. The establishment of the modern, energy efficient ACUCC in its central downtown location not only allows it to be accessible by multiple forms of transportation (walking, cycling, transit and driving), but it supports the overall revitalization of business activity in the Township’s core.
The design of the ACUCC utilizes reclaimed brick and beams from an old school, showcasing a historical reference within its structure. The facility also includes an important energy conservation focus, with waste heat from the high efficiency refrigeration being utilized through the pool’s water heating system. In addition to the solar thermal system, LED lighting and water harvesting recovery system, the facility also provides electric vehicle charging stations.
2020 Facility Excellence Award (for projects under $1 million)
The Edwardian Cottage is an iconic 1920s heritage building, located in Terra Nova, one of Richmond’s oldest settlement areas on the northwest corner of Lulu Island. Settled first by the Musqueam First Nation, then later by European settlers, the Edwardian Cottage is a remnant of the Terra Nova Cannery which was operated by BC Packers, and embodies the early settlement pattern related to the region’s important fishing industry.
In 2014, after a comprehensive planning, design and stakeholder engagement process, the Edwardian Cottage was rehabilitated, restored, and retrofit with a wheelchair ramp, becoming the new home of the Terra Nova Nature School for children from preschool to 13 years old. The facility’s design emphasizes conservation, optimizing building performance, continued improvement in energy use, water efficiency, and a high indoor environmental quality.
The establishment of the Terra Nova Nature School has supported both the nature goals and the physical activity goals of the City of Richmond and addressed a number of community needs, including a licensed preschool program that would allow parents to apply for subsidies through the Ministry of Child and Family Development. The Nature School also supports the community-identified need for more early childhood learning opportunities, and to connect young people to nature in order to develop lifelong ecological literacy and stewardship. Community members from diverse backgrounds, abilities and ethnicities now come together to participate in this non-traditional educational program, based in traditional educative methods.
2020 Program Excellence Award (for population over 15k)
The City of Surrey has one of the highest rates of Autism in British Columbia. To address this, and guided by the City’s principle of inclusion, Surrey partnered with the Canucks Autism Network (CAN) to create and promote several sensory-friendly options for people living with autism spectrum disorder or who have sensory processing needs.
The Sensory Friendly Spaces program aims to ensure people living with Autism feel welcome at City events and facilities. A sensory friendly space is a calm and quiet area designed to create a supportive environment for individuals who have autism spectrum disorder, anxiety or other sensory-processing needs. The sensory friendly space allows individuals to feel safe and calm, allowing them to not only attend events but also feel supported throughout the event.
In an effort to make the City the most accessible city in Canada, recreation centres across Surrey also have adopted sensory friendly kits to support patrons. The kits contain noise-cancelling headphones, sensory toys, and fidget toys and can be borrowed from the reception desk in each centre. These low-cost kits are incorporated into recreation centre budgets to make this project sustainable in the long term. The program also integrates training for front line staff on how to use these kits with patrons. The City has also developed kits in partnership with the Surrey Fire Department to support Fire Fighters in emergency situations to help people with autism and other sensory processing needs.
2020 Program Excellence Award (for population under15k)
The Nelson and District Youth Centre program is a social enterprise developed to empower children, youth, and families through connection, education, and recreation in a safe, fun, and creative environment. The program offers barrier-free programming, allowing anyone to enter the Centre to participate in programs at little or no cost. The Centre’s facilities include an indoor all-wheels park, a bouldering cove, multi-sporting court, dance studio, art and band rooms, kitchen, and a new Makerspace - all designed to increase physical literacy and social well-being.
Programming at the Centre is always evolving to meet the changing needs of the community. Current programming includes flexible and affordable childcare, technology programs focused on digital arts, electronics, doding and robotics that aim to support youth to develop confidence and new skills to assist them when entering the workforce, a ‘Books Everywhere’ mini-library literacy program, the Eazy-Eats introduction to cooking skills program, and a community mural.
2020 Community Leadership Award
The Warming Centre Team supports each of Burnaby’s three warming centre locations, which are operated by the City of Burnaby’s Parks Department. Team members act as important points of contact within the community, and work closely with a wide variety of internal and external agencies to act quickly and positively to ensure the community’s most vulnerable people are looked after during the winter months.
Each day, Warming Centre Team members address a wide range of complex social and health issues, including mental health, addiction, housing and homelessness, medical health concerns, hunger, and overall life preservation. Along with basic shelter for the night, Burnaby's warming centres provide washroom facilities, mats, tables and chairs, hot beverages and snacks, and space for people's belongings. Last year the Warming Centre Team provided shelter for more than 2,500 visitors, connecting them with agencies that can help them access the services they need.