By Doug Draper
Possibly not to be outdone by U.S. President Barack Obama when it comes to recognizing citizens who provide voluntary service to their communities, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper used a stop in Welland, Ontario this January 7 to announce a new awards program for celebrating volunteers.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, file photo.
“Our government is proud of the millions of volunteers and other everyday Canadians who generously give their time, experience and expertise to make their communities stronger,” said the Conservative PM during his first visit to Niagara in more than a year. “These awards will celebrate their enormous contributions and we hope it encourages others to participate and make a difference in their own communities.”
Niagara At Large is pleased to include the Prime Minister’s Media Release and a Backgrounder from his office, providing more details on the new volunteer awards program below. Read through them, and then share your comments with us on this announcement. Remember that we only post comments by readers who are willing to include their real name.
Date: January 7, 2011
For immediate release
PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER ANNOUNCES NEW AWARDS PROGRAM TO RECOGNIZE CANADA’S VOLUNTEERS
WELLAND, ONTARIO – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced a new volunteer awards program to recognize the outstanding contributions of Canadians who volunteer their time, energy and talents to helping others, as well as local business leaders and individuals from not-for-profit organizations that make a difference in their communities.
“Our Government is proud of the millions of volunteers and other everyday Canadians who generously give their time, experience and expertise to make their communities stronger,” said Prime Minister Harper. “These awards will celebrate their enormous contributions and we hope it encourages others to participate and make a difference in their own communities.”
A total of 17 Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards will be presented annually. Fifteen regional awards will be presented to volunteers, business leaders and individuals from not-for-profit organizations. There will also be two national awards, one to recognize lifelong achievement and one for a young adult.
Regional award recipients will receive a $5,000 grant for the not-for-profit organization of their choice, while national award recipients will receive $10,000 for their organization of choice.
The first call for nominations will open in April 2011 during National Volunteer Week and the recipients will be announced later in the year.
The creation of the new awards program addresses a commitment made by the Harper Government in the 2010 Speech from the Throne.
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PMO Press Office: 613-957-5555
This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca
Backgrounder
PRIME MINISTER’S VOLUNTEER AWARDS
The Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards have been created to recognize Canadians who devote their time, energy and resources to make a difference in the lives of others.
A total of 17 Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards will be awarded across the country. Three awards will be available in each of the following five Canadian regions: Atlantic Canada, Québec, Ontario, the Prairies, British Columbia and Northern Canada. These will be presented in the following categories:
· Community Leader Award – Intended for individuals or groups, nominees must act as a catalyst to develop solutions to local problems.
· Business Leader Award – Intended for private sector recipients, nominees must demonstrate corporate social responsibility by using financial and/or human resources, and/or developing partnerships with not-for-profit organizations or social enterprises to address social issues.
· Social Innovator Award – Intended for the not-for-profit sector, nominees must demonstrate innovation by developing new approaches or new ideas to address social challenges.
There will also be two national awards, one to recognize lifelong achievement and one for a young adult.
Regional award recipients will receive a $5,000 grant for the not-for-profit organization of their choice, while national award recipients will receive $10,000 for their organization of choice. The awards will be managed and funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada.
The first call for nominations for the Prime Minister’s Volunteer Awards will open in April 2011 during National Volunteer Week. Recipients will be recognized at an awards ceremony in December 2011.
For more information on the Program, or the call for nominations, please visit http://www.pm.gc.ca/awards.
(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
Recognizing volunteers is commendable, and the right thing to do. It’s reminiscent of Bush’s “thousand points of light”. Unfortunately, the notion of volunteerism is anathema to the government’s complicity in the gutting of hospital services in this region.
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Which government is gutting the NHS?
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The provincial government is gutting hospital services in part because the federal government transfer monies are drying up, and have been diminishing for years.
Privatised health care is a proven financial and health nightmare which will further impoverish the unhealthy and unwealthy. It’s a disgrace.
A Calgary for profit hospital recently declared bankrupcy (no surprise), and the taxpayers have to pick up the tab.
Yesterday’s Toronto Star tells the story.
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Fortunately, the Liberals are moving to reduce pharmaceutical prices. That, at least, is a step in the right direction.
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Steward: Bankrupt Beacon Of Privatized Health Care
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I agree with Maude Barlow. This is what this country needs:
I. Rejection of the Profit Motive in Health Care
II. The Federal Government must recommit to Health Care
III. Canada Health Act must be extended
IV. Trade Agreements must not be allowed to dictate health policy (Chapter 11 of NAFTA must be revoked.)
V. The patent monopoly of drug companies must be broken
VI. Move towards a Community based Primary Health Care system
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The Town of Fort Erie would not be the Town it is today if it was’nt for the hundreds of volunteers that ran Bingos and took the bull by the horns and accomplished great things here, the Friendship Festival the Celtic Festival the Black Creek Community Centre, the Friends of the Creeks all the Hospital equipment that was confiscated by the NHS hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by the unsung heroes of our Town, these people don’t get the respect that they deserve, thats my opinion. These people added more value than all the politicians combined. George
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I’ve got a lot of satisfaction from volunteering in the past – BUT – Harper and his conservatives are paying a pittance of lip service to volunteers who are taking up the slack because of cuts to social programs and health over the last twenty years. But they keep cutting taxes to corporations!
Hypocritical.
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