On Jan. 6, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper announced a new Volunteer Awards Program to recognize Canadians who devote their time, energy and resources to make a difference in the lives of others.
A total of 17 Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards will be awarded across the country. Three awards will be available in each of the following five Canadian regions: Atlantic Canada, Québec, Ontario, the Prairies, British Columbia and Northern Canada. These will be presented in the following categories:
Community Leader Award – Intended for individuals or groups, nominees must act as a catalyst to develop solutions to local problems.
Business Leader Award – Intended for private sector recipients, nominees must demonstrate corporate social responsibility by using financial and/or human resources, and/or developing partnerships with not-for-profit organizations or social enterprises to address social issues.
Social Innovator Award – Intended for the not-for-profit sector, nominees must demonstrate innovation by developing new approaches or new ideas to address social challenges.
There will also be two national awards, one to recognize lifelong achievement and one for young adult leadership.
Regional award recipients will receive a $5,000 grant for the not-for-profit organization of their choice, while national award recipients will receive $10,000 for their organization of choice. The awards will be managed and funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
The first call for nominations for the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards will open on April 10, 2011 during National Volunteer Week. Recipients will be recognized at an awards ceremony in December 2011. For more information about who can be nominated please visit: www.pm.gc.ca/eng/feature.asp.
The creation of the ‘New Awards Program’ addresses a commitment made by our Harper Government in the 2010 Speech from the Throne.
