Ontario Heritage Trust calls for nominations to recognition programs

TORONTO, June 12, 2013 /CNW/ - The Ontario Heritage Trust is seeking nominations to its annual recognition programs celebrating contributions to heritage conservation. The nomination deadline for all programs is September 30.

Through the Trust's recognition programs, heritage volunteers and communities are applauded for outstanding achievements in preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.

1. The Young Heritage Leaders program recognizes volunteers age 18 and under. The top individual and group nominees to Young Heritage Leaders are eligible for the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement. The top individual recipient will also be presented with a $2,000 post-secondary scholarship, jointly funded by the Ontario Heritage Trust and Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life.
   
   
2. The Heritage Community Recognition Program recognizes adult volunteers, over the age of 18. Through this program, individuals and small project groups can be recognized for contributions to conserving community heritage. Individuals can also be nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award or the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement.
   
   
3. The Community Leadership Program recognizes communities for leadership in heritage conservation and promotion. Communities are eligible for the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership through this program.

QUOTES

"These recognition programs administered by the Ontario Heritage Trust give us the opportunity to honour the efforts and energies of individuals, organizations and communities committed to enriching our heritage. I encourage people across the province to submit nominations for these awards to help us celebrate our volunteers and communities for their dedication to preserving and promoting the unique history of Ontario."
—     Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport

"The Trust is pleased to work with communities to recognize volunteers and communities for contributions to conserving Ontario's heritage. Recognizing their achievements sets strong examples for others to follow and highlights the important work being done to preserve heritage across Ontario."
—     Thomas H.B. Symons, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Trust

"We have sponsored Young Heritage Leaders for more than a decade because we understand the value of encouraging youth to take the lead in preserving local heritage and ecology. We are pleased that our long-term support helps the Ontario Heritage Trust recognize and inspire young leaders to greater involvement as we all work to build stronger communities together."
— Jan Belanger, Assistant Vice-President, Community Affairs, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life

QUICK FACTS

• Last year, 219 youth were recognized through Young Heritage Leaders, 184 volunteers were recognized through the Heritage Community Recognition Program and two communities were recognized for community leadership.
• Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life have supported the Young Heritage Leaders program since its inception in 2000 with funding through the companies' national corporate citizenship program.

The Ontario Heritage Trust is an agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.

About Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life - As an Imagine Caring Company supporting the principles of corporate citizenship and benchmarks for community investment established by Imagine Canada, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life donate a minimum of one per cent of average pre-tax profits to non-profit, charitable and community organizations each year -  www.greatwestlife.com.
Learn more about the organization's corporate social responsibility.

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LEARN MORE

Visit www.heritagetrust.on.ca/recogntion for nomination forms and program guidelines.

SOURCE: Ontario Heritage Trust

For further information:

For more information about the Trust's recognition programs, contact Catrina Colme at 416-325-5074 or [email protected].

For more information about Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life, contact Marlene Klassen, Assistant Vice-President, Communication Services, at 204-946-7705 or [email protected].

Ontario Heritage Trust
10 Adelaide Street East
Toronto, Ontario M5C 1J3
Telephone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

www.heritagetrust.on.ca