Community Spirit Awards

Oakville residents spend countless hours volunteering their time to make our town a better place to live, work and play. 

Oakville Community Spirit Awards are presented annually to individuals, organizations, businesses and community groups who have demonstrated ongoing leadership, dedication and involvement in Oakville.

The nominees

Arts, Culture and Heritage Award – sponsored by the Oakville Beaver

• Reem Al-Rawi (Recipient)
• Oakville Diwali Committee (Recipient)
• Bonnie Glass – Wearable Art Show
• Bronte Historical Society
• Carlene Ling aka Vanda Li
• Grant Foster
• Margaret Catley
• Marie Decker
• Oakville Symphony Orchestra
• Steve Bysouth
• Sybil Rampen
• Oakville Festivals of Film and Art (OFFA)

Climate Action – sponsored by FirstOntario Credit Union

• Hannah Kohler (Recipient)
• Mervyn Russell (Recipient)

Good Neighbour Award – sponsored by Chartwell Retirement Residences

• Kim Melhuish – Food Bank Friday Team (Recipient)
• Penny Smith (Recipient)
• Brenda O’Connor
• Bruce Pellowe
• Cecelia Lovelock
• Leslie Osborne
• Shelley Thornborrow 

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility Award – sponsored by Access Abilities 

• Gennile Thomas-Smith (Recipient)
• Marlyne Van Exan (Recipient)
• Nic Hotchkiss (Recipient)
• Julia Hanna
• Lynn Pike
• Seniors Working Action Group

Inspiration Award – sponsored by RBC Royal Bank

• Lionel Latter (Recipient)
• Lorna Van de Mosselaer (Recipient)
• Patrick Gorman (Recipient)
• Danny Foran
• Debbie Suleman
• Desmond Jordan – Make a Great Pass Equipment Organization
• Fabio de Rango
• Jack Kukolic
• Jeannie Garton
• June Lee
• Kacy Zhang
• Kent Stirling
• Margaret Larson

Leadership and Innovation Award – sponsored by Amica Seniors Lifestyles

• Grant Foster (Recipient)
• Desmond Jordan (Recipient)
• Matthew Aslett and Tony Ceelen
• Narine Dat Sookram
• Sundeep Khosla

Learn more about the nominees

Community Spirit Awards - designed by Rafia Shafiq

The 2023 Community Spirit Awards were designed by local artist Rafia Shafiq, who specializes in Phulkari embroidery. The embroidered works were presented to each award recipient.

New awards categories

Thanks to feedback received from the community last fall, the program has been refreshed to include broader awards categories that celebrate residents and stakeholders from all walks of life who make a difference in their community through volunteer efforts or acts of kindness.

Arts, Culture & Heritage Award

Recognizes outstanding individuals, businesses or organizations who have made a significant voluntary contribution to the artistic and/or cultural community of the Town of Oakville through the development, support, conservation or promotion of local heritage, culture, music, visual, performing, or literary arts.

Climate Action Award

Recognizes outstanding individuals, businesses or organizations who have demonstrated environmental leadership by making significant voluntary contributions to the sustainability, protection, conservation, or beautification of Oakville’s natural and built environments.

Good Neighbour Award

Recognizes outstanding individuals, businesses or organizations who have made significant contributions in their neighbourhood by showing kindness, instilling community pride, or ensuring public safety to make Oakville a better place to live, work and play.

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Award

Recognizes outstanding individuals, businesses or organizations who have made significant voluntary contribution, beyond legislated requirements, to make Oakville a more inclusive community regardless of visible/invisible disability, race, gender, sexual orientation, income, etc.

Inspiration Award

Recognizes outstanding individuals, businesses or organizations who advocate for others, motivate the community, or have had an inspirational influence on others.

Leadership & Innovation Award

Recognizes outstanding individuals, businesses or organizations who exemplify leadership or innovation, and inspire others to work collaboratively and respectfully to enhance the quality of life of others.

Selection criteria - 2023

All award nominees must:

1. Dedicate their time to an Oakville organization or have made a difference in Oakville.
2. Demonstrate one or more town corporate values.
3. Address a challenge or identify a priority in the Oakville community, as it relates to the award category.
4. Provide specific examples that demonstrate how the person/organization has made a significant impact/positive benefit in the community through their actions and activities. 

Selection process

A Selection Committee consisting of Council members and community leaders will review each nomination and select the recipients. The Selection Committee reserves the right to move a nomination to a more appropriate category, if necessary. All decisions made by the Selection Committee are final.