Ontario Association of Landscape Architects presents recognition awards

LONDON, ONT. — Ten community leaders have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to the community by the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA).

The OALA 2022 Recognition Awards were handed out Sept. 21 in London, Ont. as part of the joint 2Gether Conference hosted by the association and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute. The awards recognize members and volunteers that emulate fundamental principles of the OALA’s mission, vision and core values.

Award categories include volunteering, research, associate, environment, community and excellence.

Award winners are:

• The three winners of the David Erb Memorial Award for outstanding volunteerism are Paul Brydges from Guelph; Stefan Fediuk from Windsor; and Anne-Claude Schellenberg from Ottawa. Each has played leadership roles in the profession and association for many years.
• The two winners of the Research and Innovation Award are Dr. Robert Corry from Guelph, and Mary Jane Lovering from Toronto, who focused her design work on therapeutic outdoor environments for long-term care, acute care and mental health.
• The Jack Copeland Award for Associate Leadership and Contribution goes to Chen Zixiang from Toronto, who works as an intern for Studio TLA in Toronto.
• The Award for Community Service to Environment goes to the Friends of Small’s Creek Ravine, which works to educate the community on the importance of Toronto’s ravine ecosystem.
• The OALA Honorary Awards go to photographer Robert Burley and Nina-Marie Lister, who is a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.
• For excellence, John hillier, a principal at DTAH, received the award in recognition of 45 years of landscape architectural leadership across Canada and around the globe. He has designed and led the way for future generations to interact with landscape design.

“Many of our winners bring unique understanding of how the modification of physical form when done well can connect people to nature while maintaining balance with the surrounding environment,” said OALA president Steve Barnhart, who is also the senior director of the Niagara Parks Commission, in a statement.