2018 Award Winners
Living City Impact Award, Healthy Rivers and Shorelines
Awarded to
Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility
The Deer Creek Golf and Banquet Facility is a leader in conservation in our region’s east end and has partnered with TRCA for over two decades. The facility’s Director of Golf Course Management, Neil Acton, joined a TRCA task force to help develop the first Carruthers Watershed Plan. He worked with TRCA to implement habitat restoration projects in the east branch of the creek. Last fall, a major restoration initiative to protect Redside Dace habitat was completed in partnership with TRCA and with funding through the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The project restored over 1,500 metres of stream, removed a fish barrier, and restored critical wetlands and floodplain lands. Along with direct efforts in conservation to protect the local environment, the facility has supported TRCA’s community events for many years, engaging people throughout Durham region.
Living City Impact Award, Greenspace and Biodiversity
Awarded to
Toronto Zoo
for the Adopt-A-Pond Wetland Conservation Programme
The Toronto Zoo’s Adopt-A-Pond Wetland Conservation Programme (AAP) has been instrumental in protecting habitat and endangered wildlife in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. In partnership with TRCA, the program carries out environmental education and outreach, habitat restoration, and wildlife conservation initiatives. Through AAP, the Toronto Zoo participated in 37 events across TRCA’s jurisdiction in 2018, directly engaging 10,000+ people. The program has also resulted in the restoration of 11 hectares of habitat in Rouge National Urban Park (12 wetlands, 6 turtle nesting areas and 14 turtle basking habitats), and aspires to restore 200 hectares of wetland habitat by 2034 to support the Blanding Turtle, a species at risk. Through innovative and creative program initiatives and continued collaboration with TRCA and other groups, the Toronto Zoo’s AAP is protecting Canada’s sensitive wetland species and their habitats to ensure they remain for future generations.
*Photos courtesy of the Toronto Zoo.
Living City Impact Award, Sustainable Communities
Awarded to
Plaston Architect and their client
Grand Touring Automobiles
The newly constructed Grand Touring Automobiles building in the Don Valley celebrates the cultural and natural significance of the floodplain site upon which it is built. During the development review process, Peter Gappmayr of Plaston Architect and his client Grand Touring Automobiles embraced a TRCA suggestion to use the building project to interpret the Don River watershed. With TRCA engaged, Plaston Architect and Grand Touring Automobiles naturalized a former asphalt parking lot with native shrubs and grasses, and procured a creative mural along a prominent wall of the building to tell the story of the Toronto region. This innovative and voluntary celebration of one of our region’s watersheds integrates nature into the built environment while building upon and engaging with other public art programs in the Don Valley Park.
*Photos courtesy of Plaston Architect.
Living City Impact Award, Business Excellence
Awarded to
Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association
The Greater Toronto Sewer and Watermain Contractors Association (GTSWCA) engaged the Toronto and Region Conservation Foundation, TRCA and the City of Toronto for an ambitious shoreline clean-up that took place in May 2018. The event removed two tonnes of steel debris from the Lake Ontario shoreline along the Scarborough Bluffs at East Point Park. It required the use of a marine vessel and other special equipment to lug large debris offsite, including old cars and vehicle parts. GTSWCA and all event participants donated time and resources to make a difference for Toronto’s waterfront and surrounding communities. The clean-up demonstrates GTSWCA’s leadership and collaboration, and the group’s voluntary commitment to advancing shared mandates. This inaugural event marks the first of many—GTSWCA has committed to holding the clean-up on an annual basis, with an even greater number of partners set to participate in future events.
Charles Sauriol Leadership Award
Awarded to
David Crombie
David Crombie is a leader in environmental conservation. Crombie served as Mayor of Toronto from 1972 to 1978, and as a Federal Minister from 1978 to 1988. Throughout his time in office, Crombie became known and admired for championing significant conservation initiatives and responsible urban development. His leadership and bright vision have left an indelible mark on our city region.
Some of Crombie’s landmark accomplishments include his work on the Royal Commission on the Future of Toronto’s Waterfront, the development of governance structures for Rouge National Urban Park and the Oak Ridges Moraine, and the creation of the Great Lakes Waterfront Trail.
From 1992 to 1995, Crombie served as the head of the Waterfront Regeneration Trust agency, which was founded to implement the 81 recommendations of the Royal Commission report. Several years later, he established a charity, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust Corporation, to continue the work that the agency had started.
In 2015, Crombie completed a coordinated review of key regional plans, including: The Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe; The Greenbelt Plan; The Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan; and, The Niagara Escarpment Plan. Many of the resulting 87 recommendations have received broad support and are being implemented by government.
This past summer, Crombie joined TRCA and City of Toronto staff and stakeholders to advocate for the Scarborough Waterfront EA, a project that will connect the Waterfront Trail to numerous river systems in Toronto’s east end. At the age of 82, Crombie continues to stand up for the ecological integrity of our region and the wellbeing of its many communities.