Waterloo Region – The Region honoured a number of volunteers at Regional Council tonight.

“Volunteers are critical to a vibrant community. By choosing to invest in our community, they truly provide a legacy in making lives better for their neighbours,” said Regional Chair Karen Redman. “We are humbled by their efforts and indebted to them.”

Ontario Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement

Larry Lamb, a long-time resident of the region, has contributed significantly to local botany and ecosystem restoration. Locally, he is well known for his advocacy for naturalized gardens and landscapes and has been an active life-long supporter of natural heritage conservation within Waterloo Region, the province and beyond. Larry has always been meticulous in documenting and collecting, and has donated his records and collections to public institutions so that they are available for future generations.

Young Heritage Leaders Awards (Group)

Since 2000, teachers and students at Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute have volunteered at the Waterloo Wellington Children’s Groundwater Festival. Each year a group of enthusiastic volunteers spend a great deal of time and effort preparing for and animating 50 hands-on, interactive learning centres.

The Groundwater Festival aims to educate more than 5,000 students in Grades 2 to 5 about the importance of water in their daily lives by delivering several key messages: use water wisely, protect your water, examine the relationship between water and technology and celebrate the role of water in the ecosystem.

Ontario Senior of the Year

David Willmott has been a volunteer with the local Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP) for almost two decades. During a typical tax season, he assists with completing approximately 1,100 tax returns. David has also been a committed advocate for low-income clients, seeking more services for those in need. He clearly epitomizes the Region’s value of service and he understands the need and continues to give back to his neighbours.

-30-

For more information, please contact:

Bryan Stortz, Director of Communications, 519-575-4408