Ontario Heritage Trust honours volunteers and communities for contributions
to conservation

TORONTO, Feb. 16 /CNW/ - Today, the Ontario Heritage Trust announced the recipients of its annual recognition programs celebrating contributions to conserving Ontario's heritage.

"We are proud to recognize these volunteers and communities for their work to preserve, protect and promote our heritage," said The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Trust. "Their contributions will have a lasting impact for generations to come."

The Trust's recognition programs honour achievements in built, cultural and natural heritage conservation. The Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award is the highest honour awarded through the programs. This year's program recipients include:

    
    -   160 young volunteers being recognized as Young Heritage Leaders.
        Among them, one individual and two groups will be presented with the
        Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Youth Achievement.
        The individual recipient also wins a $2,000 post-secondary
        scholarship, jointly funded by the Ontario Heritage Trust and program
        sponsors Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life.

    -   111 volunteers being honoured through the Heritage Community
        Recognition Program for local conservation activities. Of the
        recipients, 19 individuals with contributions over a period of 25
        years or more will be presented with the Lieutenant Governor's
        Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement.

    -   Four (4) communities being recognized through the Community
        Leadership Program for demonstrating exemplary leadership in heritage
        conservation and promotion. Each of these communities will receive
        the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award for Community
        Leadership.
    

Presentation events for the Young Heritage Leaders and Heritage Community Recognition Program recipients are coordinated by the nominating councils and schools. The Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award recipients will be presented with their awards at Queen's Park on February 19.

"Conserving our heritage helps to make this province a vibrant place to live and visit," said Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "These award recipients deserve to be celebrated for their valuable contributions to enriching our communities."

The funding from Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life for Young Heritage Leaders comes through the companies' national corporate citizenship program.

"We have sponsored Young Heritage Leaders over the past decade because we appreciate the value of encouraging youth to take the lead in preserving local heritage and ecology," said Jan Belanger, Assistant Vice-President, Community Affairs, for Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life. "We are honoured 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."

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

    
    Learn More:

    -   See the Young Heritage Leaders Recipients 2009 backgrounder
    

(http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/page_attachments/Library/1/3764939_Backgrounder_YHL_Program_Results_2009_ENG_FINAL.pdf).

    
    -   See the Heritage Community Recognition Program Recipients 2009
        backgrounder
    

(http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/page_attachments/Library/1/207443_Backgrounder_HCRP_Program_Results_2009_ENG_FINAL.pdf).

    
    -   See the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Award Recipients 2009
        backgrounder
    

(http://www.heritagefdn.on.ca/userfiles/page_attachments/Library/1/3328232_LGOHA_09_Recipients_Backgrounder_ENG.pdf)

    
        for the Community Leadership Award recipients.

    -   Visit www.heritagetrust.on.ca for information about these recognition
        programs, including how to submit a nomination.

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For further information: Catrina Colme, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, Ontario Heritage Trust, Telephone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]; Marlene Klassen, Assistant Vice-President, Communication Services, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life, Telephone: [phone], E-mail: [email protected]