BC Recreation and Parks Association is pleased to host an annual Awards program that recognizes outstanding programs, facilities, parks, and dedicated individuals 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
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
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.
To submit your nomination:
Use the Facility Excellence Nomination Guide to collect the required information and to prepare your answers.
All nominations must be submitted online via the Online Nomination Form.
- All nominations are due by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
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.
To submit your nomination:
Use the Parks Excellence Nomination Guide to collect the required information and to prepare your answers.
All nominations must be submitted online via the Online Nomination Form.
- All nominations are due by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
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.
To submit your nomination:
Use the Program Excellence Nomination Guide to collect the required information and to prepare your answers.
All nominations must be submitted online via the Online Nomination Form.
- All nominations are due by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
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.
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.
To submit your nomination:
Use the Award of Merit Nomination Guide to collect the required information and to prepare your answers.
All nominations must be submitted online via the Online Nomination Form.
- All nominations are due by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
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 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
To submit your nomination:
Use the Community Leadership Nomination Guide to collect the required information and to prepare your answers.
All nominations must be submitted online via the Online Nomination Form.
- All nominations are due by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
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 persons 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 to receive the recognition
Honorary Life members are appointed on the basis of the following criteria:
- For individuals only – whether they be practitioner, academic, volunteer or staff person
- Individual 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 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
To submit a nomination:
Use the Honorary Life Member Nomination Guide to collect the required information and to prepare your answers.
All nominations must be submitted online via the Online Nomination Form.
- All nominations are due by 11:59 pm, Tuesday, Feb 11, 2020.
If you have any questions or require further information, please contact Connie Mah, Administrator, by email or phone 604-629-0965 ext. 258.
The BCRPA DB Perks Provincial Aquatics Youth Award acknowledges the outstanding achievements of an emerging leader in the early stages of their aquatics career. This new award offered for the first time this year, will be given biennially (every 2 years) at BCRPA’s biennial provincial Ripple Effects Aquatics Workshop. This award recognizes youth with the traits and skills required to hold a leadership position in aquatics, and who shows promise in continuing to make an impact on the sector.
Eligibility Requirements:
The recipient will have shown a commitment to aquatics leadership that will help advance recreation and parks being embraced as essential to the quality of life of every British Columbian (BCRPA’s vision).
Nominees must meet the following criteria:
- Be between the ages of 19-28
- Be currently working full-time for a BCRPA member organization, and
- Must have a minimum of two years employment in the aquatics sector
About the Award
The recipient of the Aquatics youth Award will receive:
- $1000
- Complementary registration to the two-day Ripple Effects Provincial Aquatics Workshop (November 13-14, 2019 in North Vancouver)
- Including accommodation of required, and reimbursement of travel costs up to $250 if required
- A beautiful table top award for display
We thank DB Perks and Associates for their generous support of this award that recognizes the positive contribution youth have on aquatics in BC.
Nomination Process:
Nominations received will be evaluated by a BCRPA committee based upon the selection criteria. BCRPA will inform the nominator and the successful youth awardee of the selection outcome. The award winner is expected to be available to receive the award at Ripple Effects Provincial Aquatics Workshop on November 13, 2019.
Submission Deadlines and Important Dates:
- September through October – Call for nominations
- October 28 – Submission deadline
- November 4 – candidate announcement
- November 13 – Award presented by Doug Perks, DB Perks and Associations, at BCRPA’s Ripple Effects Provincial Aquatics Workshop