Awards 2004
2004 notable awards received by the City of Vancouver
- Vancouver recognized for "Excellence on the Waterfront"
- Judy Rogers named to Top 100 Most Powerful Women list
- City employee named Public Works Manager of the Year
- City takes Downtown Achievement Award
- VanMap wins Customer Innovation Award
- Works Yard certified LEED Gold
- National Works Yard Wins Steel Design Award
- Larry Beasley and Sam Sullivan appointed Members of the Order of Canada
- Vancouver Agreement wins gold for Public Service Management
- Non-market housing projects recognized with architectural awards
- MoreSports wins Award of Excellence
- Local golf courses receive Audubon certification
- Three City departments recognized with Rick Hansen Accessibility Awards
Vancouver recognized for "Excellence on the Waterfront"
The City of Vancouver received a 2004 Project Honor Award from the Waterfront Centre in Washington, DC for the planning, design, and shoreline treatment of False Creek North/Concord Pacific Place. This award was received in conjunction with Concord Pacific Group.
The completed Quayside, Roundhouse and Beach neighbourhoods of False Creek North were featured in the award. It was notable that 100 per cent of the waterfront along the project is publicly-accessible via a waterfront promenade and parkland. Special design treatments were also mentioned, including view promontories, public docks and shoreline steps that invite the user to interact with the water's edge.
Vancouver was also recognized in 2003 with an Honour Award for its waterfront promenade.
Learn more about this award 
(32 kb)
[top]
Judy Rogers named to Top 100 Most Powerful Women list
In November 2004, Vancouver City Manager Judy Rogers was named to the Top 100 list at the Most Powerful Women Awards and Summit. This marks the second straight year Rogers has been recognized by the Top 100 Awards, which identifies and celebrates the 100 most exceptional and influential women in Canada.
City employee named Public Works Manager of the Year
Kevin Ramsay, Manager of the City’s Streets Operations division, has been named the 2004 Public Works Manager of the Year by the Public Works Association of British Columbia. In his work with Waterworks Operations and Streets, he has, through his vision and skills, helped save the City millions of dollars while improving the service delivered to taxpayers.
[top]
City takes Downtown Achievement Award
The City of Vancouver received a special Downtown Achievement Award from the International Downtown Association at its 50th anniversary conference in October 2004. The City was recognized for the success of its Living First Strategy, a long-term plan for downtown growth. It's a comprehensive integrated strategy that encourages housing density and diversity, strong neighbourhoods, and suitable urban design and architecture in downtown Vancouver.
The IDA is an organization that brings together cities to share knowledge and ideas for creating and maintaining vital and livable urban centers.
[top]
VanMap wins Customer Innovation Award
For the second year in a row, the City of Vancouver has received a Customer Innovation Award for VanMap from Autodesk, the City's Geographic Information System (GIS) technology vendor.
VanMap is a Web-based map system that contains visual information about property lines, zoning information, sewer mains, addresses, public places, orthophotos and more.
The City was one of only eight winners from 30 submissions. The entries were judged on the innovative use of Autodesk Infrastructure Solutions Division products, application excellence, and technical expertise.
Autodesk and others continue to recognize VanMap, which has both staff and public versions, as innovative, leading-edge, comprehensive and successful. VanMap is a collaborative effort between the City's GIS Sustainment Team, VanMap users, and the multi-departmental Team VanMap.
Jonathan Mark and other members of Team VanMap and the GIS Team accepted the award at Autodesk's annual Autodesk University event.
[top]
Works Yard certified LEED Gold
The City's National Works Yard has achieved Gold LEED certification with the Canadian Green Building Council. The Works Yard, opened in June 2004, is the first building in Canada to attain a gold rating. The LEED™ Green Building Rating System establishes standards of measurement for environmental performance. The Works Yard buildings and the site are models of energy efficiency, water conservation, and material selection. Among the innovative features on site are a ground-source heat pump and radiant panel system that heat and cool two of the buildings. This and other features will help significantly reduce energy use over traditional buildings.
Learn more
about LEED certification 
[top]
National Works Yard Wins Steel Design Award 
The City of Vancouver's National Works Yard has been awarded the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) 2004 BC Steel Design Award in the Architectural Division for outstanding steel structure. With imagery drawn from the historical industrial and railway uses previously located on the site, this project demonstrates both the structural and architectural abilities of steel.
The five hectare works yard located on National Avenue is the City of Vancouver's new engineering operations centre, replacing the old Cambie Works Yard. The project is the City's pilot initiative to promote sustainable design practices, with the Administrative Centre and Parking Operations Building receiving LEED Gold Certification from the Canada Green Building Council.
Learn more about the Steel Design Award
[top]
City planner Larry Beasley and Councillor Sam Sullivan appointed Members of the Order of Canada
City of Vancouver Director of Current Planning Larry Beasley and Councillor Sam Sullivan were among ten British Columbians appointed Members of the Order of Canada, Canada's highest honour for lifetime achievement, in July 2004. Following are their award citations:
- Larry Beasley is recognized as an authority on urban development and urban issues. A senior planner with the City of Vancouver, he has played a leading role in transforming its downtown core into a vibrant, livable urban community. In doing so, he developed a participative and socially responsible approach to zoning, planning and design, which has become known internationally as the "Vancouver Model." His advice on ways to reinvigorate the urban environment has been sought by municipalities across Canada and by cities in the United States, China and New Zealand.
- Energizing and empowering others, Sam Sullivan provides a strong example of our ability to triumph over adversity. Injured in a skiing accident at age 19, he is now a Vancouver city councillor and the founder and driving force behind a number of organizations which enhance the lives of people with disabilities. The Tetra Society encourages engineers and other specialists to volunteer their time, providing people with specially created, low-cost devices to overcome obstacles in daily living. His other not-for-profit initiatives help people to sail, make music, explore the wilderness and go rock climbing and kayaking.
Learn more about the Order of Canada
[top]
Vancouver Agreement wins gold for Public Service Management
The Vancouver Agreement was awarded the gold medal for Innovative Public Service Management from the Institute of Public Administration of Canada. The Vancouver Agreement is a commitment by the City, the federal government, the Province of B.C.to work together to support sustainable economic, social and community development in Vancouver, particularly in the Downtown Eastside. The IPAC award recognizes the shared innovation, commitment and energy of the VA team.
Learn more about
the Vancouver Agreement
[top]
Non-market housing projects recognized with architectural awards
Two non-market housing projects developed in partnership between the community, BC Housing and the City of Vancouver have been recognized with prestigious architectural awards:
- The Lore Krill Housing Co-operative is a 203 unit non-market housing co-operative. Designed by Henriquez Partners, the project was completed in 2002. Henriquez Partners received a Lieutenant Governor's Medal for Architecture earlier in 2004 for the project and have now received a Governor General's Medal for Architecture. Lore Krill is one of nine projects in Canada (five in BC) to win a 2004 Governor General's Medal.
- Mole Hill, the oldest complete block of Victorian and Edwardian houses in the City, consists of 170 non-market housing units in 27 houses in the West End. The Mole Hill Community Housing Society, BC Housing and the City entered into a partnership in 1999 for the restoration of the houses for a mix of families, couples and singles. The architects, Sean McEwen and Hotson Bakker, and the Mole Hill Community Housing Society received a Vancouver Heritage Award of Honour earlier in 2004, and recently received Heritage Canada's Award for Special Achievement. Mole Hill is the only project in BC to receive a 2004 Heritage Canada award.
Learn more about the City of Vancouver's Housing Centre
[top]
MoreSports wins Award of Excellence
The Canadian Parks and Recreation Association has recognized Vancouver’s
MoreSports community-based recreation program with an Award of Excellence
for Innovation at their conference in Halifax in October. The Vancouver
Board of Parks and Recreation is a key partner in MoreSports, which helps
make community sports programs available to all children and youth in
neighbourhoods where social and economic issues could prevent regular
participation.
Find out more about MoreSports
[top]
Local golf courses receive Audubon certification
The Vancouver Park Board’s three major golf courses, Fraserview, Langara and McCleery, have been awarded certification by the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System of Canada. The certification recognizes the courses’ high environmental standards which include developing an environmental plan, caring for the wildlife habitat, using non-chemical pesticides whenever possible, practicing water conservation and water quality protection, and developing outreach and education programs.
[top]
Three City departments recognized with Rick Hansen Accessibility Awards
The City of Vancouver's Community Services Group, Vancouver Parks and Recreation, and Mayor's Advisory Committee on Disability Issues were among seven projects honoured with 2004 Rick Hansen Accessibility Awards. The awards recognize groups and individuals that show leadership, progress and excellence in creating accessibility in the community.
- The Community Services Group has consistently lead the province in the accessible provisions of their building code. In 2002, they improved the accessibility provisions in the City of Vancouver by requiring enhanced accessibility in multi-unit residential buildings.
- The City of Vancouver has demonstrated a long history of commitment to improving accessibility starting in 1977 when it established the Special Advisory Committee. That fundamental commitment continues today through the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues with the mandate to work to enhance access to City services for persons with disabilities, and to identify and suggest solutions to gaps and barriers that impede their full participation in all aspects of City life.
- Vancouver Parks and Recreation have a culture of accessibility and a focus on healthy living for all of the residents of Vancouver. Though they inherited an aging infrastructure, which makes accessibility a challenge, their accomplishments including automated doors, wheelchair accessible washrooms in all Parks Board facilities, pool lifts and aquatic wheelchairs.
[top]