At Monday night’s Council meeting, Mayor Rob Burton applauded Oakville’s Recreation and Culture department for winning two provincial awards for their ongoing work to enhance parks and recreation opportunities in the community. The town took home the Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO) 2012 Excellence in Design Award for Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre (QEPCCC), along with the prestigious Emerging Leader Award presented to Danielle Pearce.
“On behalf of Council, I want to congratulate the staff from our Recreation and Culture department,” Mayor Rob Burton said. “These awards are another reminder of the excellent work they do in developing and delivering the quality programs, services and facilities that are available in our community.”
QEPCCC was presented with the 2012 Excellence in Design Award for its high standards of design, usability, accessibility and versatility as a public space. The facility boasts an aquatics centre, two gymnasia, a youth centre, an older adult centre, dance studios, a recording studio, fine arts studios, a rehearsal hall, black box theatre, gallery, museum space, and more. With more than 144,000 square feet of active living space, QEPCCC is one of the largest venues in Canada to house such a diverse collection of recreation, arts and cultural opportunities.
“Danielle demonstrates initiative, commitment to community, and creative innovation in every role she takes on.”
- Nina de Vaal, director of Recreation and Culture
Danielle Pearce, administrative coordinator with the town’s Recreation and Culture department was presented with the Emerging Leader Award for her outstanding accomplishments as a young professional. Pearce began her career with the Town of Oakville in 2008 with the Youth Services division supporting project based work related to youth programming and urban art. She also played a major role in achieving Oakville’s designation as a Youth Friendly Community.
In 2011, she was responsible for overseeing and supporting a variety of children’s programs, as well as summer day camp operations. It was in this position that Pearce developed unique new specialty camps for children that generated so much interest that additional weeks were added to accommodate wait-lists. In February 2012, Pearce presented an idea to offer helmet and skate rentals at the River Oaks Community Centre to meet the needs of Oakville’s diverse populations. The skate and helmet program was successfully launched in September 2012.
“Danielle demonstrates initiative, commitment to community, and creative innovation in every role she takes on,” Nina de Vaal, director of Recreation and Culture said. “Her work ethic and commitment to the town shows true leadership and we’re proud to have her on our team.”
The PRO Awards recognize outstanding achievements and extraordinary commitments of park and recreation professionals and organizations in providing services and programs.