2009 Winners of the National Awards for Innovation and Excellence Announced
By The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships

TORONTO , Dec. 4 /CNW Telbec/ - The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships (CCPPP) has announced the winners of the ninth annual National Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Public-Private Partnerships at an awards dinner and presentation held at the Downtown Toronto Hilton Hotel on the evening of December 3, 2009 .

Winner of the Gold Award for Leadership in Public-Private Partnerships was the Confederation Bridge, in Prince Edward Island , partnership of Transport Canada and Strait Crossing Development Inc.

Two Gold Awards for Infrastructure were also presented.

Gold Award for Infrastructure was presented to the Canada Line in Vancouver , BC, partnership of Canada Line Rapid Transit Inc. and InTransit BC Limited Partnership and the Sea-to-Sky Highway Improvement Project, partnership of British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and Sea-to-Sky Highway Investment Limited Partnership with participation by Partnerships BC.

Silver Award for Project Financing was presented to the Royal Jubilee Hospital Patient Care Centre, (British Columbia), partnership of Vancouver Island Health Authority and Health Care Projects Canada Ltd.

Silver Award for Infrastructure went to Golden Ears Bridge (British Columbia), partnership of TransLink (South Coast BC Transportation Authority) and Bilfinger Berger Project Investments Inc.

An Award of Merit for Project Financing was also handed out.

The Award of Merit for Project Financing was presented to the Niagara Health System partnership of the Niagara Health System and Plenary Health with participation by Infrastructure Ontario.

The 2009 Champion Award was presented to H. William Pearson and Donald G. Gibson, founders and long time Board Members of The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships. They are the tenth and eleventh, recipients of the Champion Award. Previous recipients have included the Hon. Gordon Campbell , Premier of BC, Pierre Le François, the late James MacLaren, Donald Macdonald , Mac Carson , Glenna Carr , the late Chuck Wills , Gary Collins and Michael H. Wilson. Premier Campbell continues as the Honourary Chair of The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships.

Sponsors for the 2009 Awards Program were: Aecon Group Inc., Société Générale, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP. Infrastructure Canada is the Research Contributor.

The Annual Conference on Private-Public Partnerships is The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships' premier event. This year the Conference and related events, which are taking place on December 3rd and 4th, is hosting over 700 distinguished leaders, speakers and delegates from Canada and around the globe, including England, France , the UK, Spain , Germany , Australia , and the United States . The theme of this year's conference is "Public-Private Partnerships: Strategic Investments in Canada's Future".

For further information: or to request an interview, please contact: Alison Reed, Work: [phone] x 227, Mobile: [phone], [email protected]