Oakville refreshes Spirit Awards to better reflect those who make a difference

Oakville | Halton | Community | Latest News |

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Published February 3, 2023 at 5:00 pm

The Community Spirit Awards (CSA) are back this spring with a refreshed way that better recognizes community members’ efforts to make Oakville the most livable town.

The new awards program features expanded awards categories that celebrate and recognize community members from all walks of life who make a difference here through volunteer efforts or acts of kindness.

The Town made the changes as a result of feedback they received from the community last fall.

Due to this feedback and COVID-19 impacts over the past two years, the committee recommended that the 2022 event be postponed to revamp the program for 2023.

“The new awards program will be more inclusive and reach a broader audience thanks to feedback received from the public about how they want to be recognized,” said Mayor Rob Burton of the program that was initially launched in 2002.

“The refreshed awards focus on what matters most to our community. The awards will not only celebrate volunteers, but those who have changed the lives of those in our community with acts of kindness and generosity.”

Previous awards categories (arts, heritage, and access) have been integrated into the new categories.

Individuals and groups will now be nominated in the award category that best recognizes their impact on the community.

In addition, the Youth and Seniors awards have been discontinued to encourage submissions from all ages in the category that best reflect their contributions to the community.

New award categories include:

  • Arts, Culture & Heritage Award
  • Climate Action Award
  • Good Neighbour Award
  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Award
  • Inspiration Award
  • Leadership & Innovation Award

The new CSA program will officially launch this March. Detailed submission guidelines, award categories and sample scoresheets will be available on the Community Spirit Awards page.

Recipients will be honoured at a celebration event on June 8, 2023 at the Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre.

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