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The design of the ACUCC utilizes reclaimed brick and beams from an old school, showcasing a historical reference within its structure.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.