Ontario Heritage Trust Award winners honoured at awards ceremony at Town Hall
Town Council members welcomed Oakville’s Ontario Heritage Trust award recipients at a ceremony held at Town Hall last night. Oakville residents were recognized in six categories for their valuable contribution to preserving local heritage.Town Council members welcomed Oakville’s Ontario Heritage Trust award recipients at a ceremony held at Town Hall last night. Oakville residents were recognized in six categories for their valuable contribution to preserving local heritage.
“Council’s commitment to the preservation of Oakville’s heritage is a reflection of the commitment of Oakville residents such as tonight’s outstanding award recipients,” Mayor Rob Burton said.
The Oakville residents recognized by the Ontario Heritage Trust this year are:
- Gordon Spragge, Heritage Community Recognition – Cultural Heritage
- Mr. Spragge is recognized for his contributions to the art exhibition Returning Home: A Carrie Hillyard Retrospective.
- Jamie Macrae, Heritage Community Recognition – Built Heritage
- As a volunteer member of the Oakville Historical Society, Mr. Macrae has led the house plaquing initiative and has also been an active volunteer for Doors Open Oakville, opening his wooden 1920s schooner, Anitra, for tours.
- Enver Domingo, Heritage Community Recognition – Natural Heritage
- Mr. Domingo has been an active member of Oakvillegreen for almost a decade. He has assisted with the creation of the town’s trail standards for North Oakville’s Natural Heritage System, as well as protecting important songbird layover areas in Shell Park.
- Donalda Fordham, Heritage Community Recognition – Lifetime Achievement
- Ms. Fordham has volunteered her talents to three local heritage organizations for over twenty years. She has also been an active member of a craft guild which promotes and develops a traditional craft.
- Christopher Borecky, Young Heritage Leaders – Natural Heritage
- Mr. Borecky has excelled in sharing his knowledge of Oakville’s natural heritage among his peer group, neighbourhood and school community. Mr. Borecky is a dedicated young man whose curiosity has led him to protect and enhance natural areas as well as the wildlife species that inhabit them.
- St. Dominic’s Catholic Elementary School Grade 7, Young Heritage Leaders – Cultural Heritage: Veteran’s Garden Project Group
- The Bronte Veteran’s Garden was a project initiated by Grade 7 and 8 students at St. Dominic’s Catholic Elementary School to recognize the contributions of individuals who have served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
The Ontario Heritage Trust, the province's lead heritage agency, is dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's rich and varied heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. The Heritage Community Recognition program and Young Heritage Leaders program awards volunteers and youth in all communities across Ontario for their work in preserving, protecting and promoting local heritage.The Ontario Heritage Trust, the province's lead heritage agency, is dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's rich and varied heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. The Heritage Community Recognition program and Young Heritage Leaders program awards volunteers and youth in all communities across Ontario for their work in preserving, protecting and promoting local heritage.
The Town of Oakville has been actively preserving its heritage for more than six decades, beginning with efforts to conserve Oakville's first post office from 1949 to 1951. The Town of Oakville’s 1962 official plan incorporated heritage policies that helped ensure that over 90 per cent of Oakville’s historic buildings continue to exist today. Over the years the town has acquired a number of heritage properties to ensure their preservation, the most significant being the Erchless Estate, the estate of Oakville's founding family, the Chisholms.
The town has just recently designated a new heritage conservation district in downtown Oakville, ensuring the conservation of historical buildings and managing change of future development in the area. For more information visit the Downtown Oakville Heritage Conservation District .
