City Awards

Awards 2003

2003 notable awards received by the City of Vancouver

City receives recycling award for quality newsprint

Vancouver's commitment to recycling has been honoured with an award from the largest paper recycling mill in Western Canada. NorskeCanada has named the City, along with its processing and marketing contractor Canadian Fibre, its 2003 Supplier of the Year. The award honours the City and its residents for the consistently high quality and continuous supply of old newspaper being recycled. It recognizes the diligence of Vancouver residents for regularly sorting their household recyclables properly, and keeping contamination levels (incorrect materials) very low.

 Read the news release

 Learn more about the City of Vancouver's recycling programs

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S-Curve wins engineering award of merit

S-Curve ProjectThe Stanley Park S-Curve project received an Award of Merit from the Consulting Engineers of British Columbia in its 2003 awards competition. The S-Curve was one of 38 applications from BC engineering consultants representing projects throughout the province, Canada and the world. The project involved reconstructing the western end of Georgia Street from Gilford Street to the beginning of the Stanley Park forest, making a number of access and safety improvements for pedestrians, cyclists, in-line skaters, transit users, and vehicle drivers. The S-Curve project was a partnership between the City of Vancouver, the Vancouver Park Board, Ministry of Transportation and Highways, Translink and ICBC.

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GVTV Wins AgAware "Golden Rooster" Journalism Award

AgAware BC, an industry-run agriculture awareness program, has awarded the top television agri-journalism award to GVTV for a story about the importance of locally produced foods in the Greater Vancouver region. Producer/editor Thomas Donovan received the award at the awards gala held in Abbotsford in February. The five-minute "Food Democracy" segment captures the excitement of the of the Trout Lake Farmer's Market and includes insight from visionary organizer Herb Barbolet of FarmFolk/CityFolk. The story also explores the importance of a local, sustainable food system.

 Watch the video

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Judy Rogers named to Top 100 list at Most Powerful Women Summit

In November 2003, Vancouver City Manager Judy Rogers was named to the "Top 100" list at the Most Powerful Women Summit, sponsored by the Women's Executive Network and the University of Western Ontario's Richard Ivey School of Business. She was the only senior administrator in the public sector -- from a municipal level -- that was selected for this honour.

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Program Excellence Award for Citizen Involvement

In September 2003, the City of Vancouver received a Program Excellence Award for Citizen Involvement from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The award recognized the success of Vancouver's Public Involvement Review, which began in 1996 as an initiative to improve the effectiveness of civic government and service delivery. Over time, the Public Involvement Review has led to initiatives such as expanded outreach efforts, departmental improvements, a public process guide, staff/public training, a Newcomers Guide (in four languages), a searchable database of community and governmental references, and a civics manual for high school students.

 Learn more about Vancouver's commitment to public involvement

 Learn more about the ICMA Globe

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Excellence on the Waterfront Award

In September 2003, the City of Vancouver received an Honour Award for its Waterfront Promenade at the Waterfront Center's 21st Annual International Conference, held in Montreal. Judging criteria for this award included: sensitivity of the design to water; quality and harmony of design; civic contribution; and environmental and educational aspects. Based on a longstanding commitment by Vancouver City Council to provide public access to the water, Vancouver's waterfront promenade has been in the making for over 80 years. It is the result of a cooperative planning process that has engaged thousands of citizens over the years to help develop a vision for the waterfront, which once consisted largely of former industrial lands. The fundamental goal was to secure public access along the waterfront and expand the seaside promenade.

 Read a Council report about the award

 Visit the Waterfront Center's website Globe

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Cultural Capital of CanadaCultural Capital of Canada logo

Victoria may be the capital of B.C., but Vancouver has been designated a Cultural Capital of Canada. In May, Heritage Minister Sheila Copps named the City of Vancouver as a winner in this new federal program, which recognizes cities that demonstrate an ongoing commitment to arts and culture, and provides matching funds for new cultural initiatives. Vancouver took the title in the category for cities with a population over 125,000, beating out Trois Rivieres, Quebec, and Ottawa. The City will receive up to $500,000 in federal matching funds which will be put towards two new Creative City Celebrations scheduled for the spring of 2004: the first annual Vancouver Arts Awards for outstanding achievements in the creative sector and, a waterfront festival based in and around False Creek, celebrating our connections to the sea.

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Corner bulge design wins Ideas Competition prize

The City of Vancouver was the second place winner in the Public Works Association of BC's 2003 Ideas Competition for the infiltration corner bulge designed by David Yurkovich of the Structures and Greenways Branch. The infiltration corner bulge allows surface water run-off to be managed more sustainably, while providing a potential cost savings of approximately $5,000 per location. This new design also helps the community beautify their local streets.

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NIST UN Award

City Manager Judy Rogers accepts the UNPAN award on June 23, 2003
City Manager Judy Rogers accepts the UNPAN award on June 23, 2003.

The City of Vancouver stepped into the spotlight at the United Nations in New York on June 23, as City Manager Judy Rogers and Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams Coordinator Nancy Cheung accepted the Innovation in Public Service award for the Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams program. Vancouver was chosen from hundreds of applicants, and was the only city in North America to win the award. The United Nations recognized the value of the NIST program's unique way of helping residents solve neighbourhood issues through teamwork. The award is given to cities that demonstrate excellence and innovation in public service delivery, especially programs that apply innovative methods to issues such as technological modernization, administrative reforms or overhauls of government service delivery. NIST was established in 1994, and now has more than 200 City staff members working in 16 teams to serve Vancouver's neighbourhoods.

 View a webcast of the award ceremonies

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Downtown Transportation Plan

The Downtown Transportation Team took home the 2003 Canadian Institute of Planners award for planning excellence. The DTP was the winner in the innovation category, and was among 31 submissions from across Canada. Congratulations go to Jeffery Patterson, Ian Fisher, Richard Johnson, Lon LaClaire, Doug Louie, John Madden, Dean McKay, and Katia Robichaud.

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Landfill Gas Project

The Landfill Gas Collection and Utilization Project, a joint initiative by the City of Vancouver and the Corporation of Delta, won the Federation of Canadian Municipalities-CH2M HILL Sustainable Community Award for renewable energy. The project allows methane gas collected from the Vancouver Landfill in Delta to be used to produce electricity for sale to B.C. Hydro and heat for a local greenhouse operation starting in the fall of 2003.The award acknowledges how the Vancouver Landfill is taking a by-product and turning it into a creative, new energy option that provides environmental benefits and revenue. Vancouver will receive about $300,000 a year in revenue that will be used to help offset landfill operating costs.

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Country Lanes

Engineering Streets Design's Country Lanes project has been paving its way with awards since its inception last year. It's the winner of the 2003 Technical Innovation Award from the American Public Works Association, which represents municipal governments across North America. It also received an honourable mention for the 2003 Environmental Award from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators. Country Lanes are specially designed lanes that are more attractive and environmentally sustainable. They feature two narrow strips of concrete for a smooth driving surface, and the surrounding areas are grass and a road base that allow for natural drainage. The lanes provide a rural aesthetic while reducing environmental impacts and discharges to the City's storm sewer system.

 Watch a video backgrounder on the Country Lanes project.

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PIR Prize

The Public Involvement Review has won the 2003 Citizen Involvement Award from the International City/County Management Association. The award recognizes excellence in management and strategic planning, and singled out the PIR for creating outreach efforts, departmental improvements, a public process guide, staff/public training, the newcomers guide, a searchable database of community and governmental references, and a civics manual for students. The award will be presented at the ICMA conference in Charlotte, North Carolina in September.

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Advocate for Architecture

Director of Current Planning Larry Beasley was lauded for his "vision", "tenacity" and "exemplary work ... recognized around the world", when the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada presented him with the 2003 Award of Excellence as an Advocate for Architecture in May. This national award, conferred for the first time this year by architects across the country, recognizes Beasley's long-term commitment and support for architecture, and his role in creating an urban environment conducive to great architecture.

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GIS Honours

The City was a nominee for the Computerworld Honors Program for our work in geographical information systems (GIS) and computer assisted drafting and design (CADD). Autodesk, our GIS and CADD vendor, nominated the City, which, was one of 313 nominees from 33 countries. The nominating companies are among the 100 largest technology companies in the world. GIS Manager Jonathan Mark attended the ceremony in San Francisco in April to receive a commemorative medal on the City's behalf.

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Stars at Viewstar

The City and its consultant Precision Business Technologies took home the award for Best Customer Presentation at the Viewstar conference. Viewstar is our imaging software, which we have named DOMINO. Phil Thun, Tuan Do, Denise Kirby, Lynn Urekar and Carlene Robbins attended the conference, and Phil, Tuan and the PBT reps made the presentation, which played to a standing-room only crowd. The City's presentation generated a lot of interest because we're the first out of more than 4,000 Viewstar customers to use colour scanning and their new business process management release.

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Other honours:

  • The 2003 National Award of Excellence for Municipal Workplace Literacy was awarded to City and its partners CUPE 1004 and CUPE 15 and the Vancouver School Board. The award recognizes how the City of Vancouver has been delivering literacy training to employees, helping them to enhance their work and personal lives.
  • John Schouten of Police was named a volunteer of the year by the Provincial Emergency Program for his ongoing emergency communications work. Schouten serves on the City's Emergency Planning Committee, and has been a leader in coordinating the Vancouver Emergency Community Telecommunications Organization. (VECTOR)
  • The Parking Operations and Enforcement Branch's use of hand-held ticketing devices garnered international attention, as it was featured in two cover-story articles in professional journals - Parking Today magazine of Los Angeles and Parking News of London, England. The articles focused on how the City has successfully used these devices equipped with database links and printers, to help automate the ticketing and enforcement system.

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