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The awards recognize outstanding contributions and achievements in community life and provide an opportunity to honour Calgary's exceptional citizens. 

The Community Achievement Awards has nine sub-categories:

  • Arts
  • Calgarian of the Year
  • Community Advocate - Individual
  • Community Advocate - Organization
  • Education
  • Grant McEwan Lifetime Achievement
  • Heritage
  • Social Impact – Business
  • Youth

Eligibility requirements


See eligibility requirements for more criteria.

community activity

Award criteria and nomination questions


Arts

Awarded to an individual or group of individuals who live in Calgary whose artistic accomplishments brought recognition to Calgary or whose volunteer and/or professional involvement contributed to developing a stronger arts community.

  1. Describe:
    • The nominee's artistic accomplishments that brought recognition to Calgary, and/or
    • The nominee's volunteer or professional activities that contributed to developing a stronger arts community in Calgary.
    Include specific projects and durations, the nominee's role and highlight the activities in 2023. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s role/title/company (if applicable) and their achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Calgarian of the Year

Calgarian of the Year is awarded to an outstanding individual Calgarian who, within the last five years, has made extraordinary contributions to the community, as a volunteer and/or professional, that improved the quality of life in Calgary or brought recognition to Calgary.

  1. Describe the extraordinary contributions made by the nominee, spanning the previous five years, that have:
    • Resulted in a better quality of life for Calgarians, and/or
    • Brought recognition to Calgary.
    Include specific projects and durations, the nominee's role and highlight the activities in the last five years. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements on enhancing the quality of life in Calgary and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award.​ Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s role/title/company (if applicable) and their achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Community Advocate - Individual

Awarded to an individual Calgarian who has made a significant contribution to the community through their volunteer activities and initiatives. Examples are: involvement with community endeavours, service clubs, community improvement programs, youth programs, or community associations. 

  1. Describe the specific volunteer activities and initiatives that the nominee is involved with that led to a significant contribution to the community. Include the nominee's role and duration of the initiatives and highlight the activities in 2023. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements on the community and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s role and their achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Community Advocate - Organization

Awarded to a non-government, not-for-profit Calgary organization for outstanding service to the community by implementing, improving, supporting, or assisting a local established project or program that has been operating for a minimum 12 months.

  1. Describe the significant contribution of service to the community by the nominee. Include specific activities and length of time in operation and highlight the activities in 2023. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements on the community and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award.​​ Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Education

Awarded to an individual Calgarian who has enhanced learning opportunities for Calgarians or brought recognition to Calgary due to outstanding academic achievement in their field.

  1. Describe:
    • The enhanced learning opportunities provided to Calgarians by the nominee, and/or
    • The nominee's outstanding academic achievements in their field that brought recognition to Calgary.
    Include specific projects and durations, the nominee's role and highlight the activities in 2023. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s role/title/company (if applicable) and their achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Grant MacEwan Lifetime Achievement

This award is named in honour of the lifetime achievements of Calgarian Dr. Grant MacEwan - writer, environmentalist and politician. City Council created this award to commemorate Dr. MacEwan's 90th birthday in 1992.

The award goes to an individual Calgarian who, over the past 25 years or more, has made significant contributions to the community, as a volunteer and/or professional, that improved the quality of life for citizens or brought recognition to Calgary.

  1. Describe the significant contributions made by the nominee, over the past twenty-five years or more, that have:
    • Resulted in a better quality of life for Calgarians, and​/or
    • Brought recognition to Calgary.
    Include specific projects, the nominee's role and duration of the projects. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements on enhancing the quality of life in Calgary and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award.​​ Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s role/title/company (if applicable) and their achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Heritage

Awarded to an individual Calgarian, group or organization who has made an extraordinary contribution to the promotion of awareness and/or preservation of Calgary's heritage or history in the areas of built, non-built, archaeology, education or advocacy.

  1. Describe how the nominee has promoted awareness and/or preserved Calgary's built, non-built or archeological heritage or history. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s role/title/company (if applicable) and their achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Social Impact – Business

Awarded to a for-profit Calgary business for demonstrating outstanding corporate social responsibility that contributes to making life better for Calgarians. Additional consideration will be given to businesses that demonstrate community social impact through social innovation and/or social entrepreneurship.

Criteria

  • Operating for more than 3 years as of Dec. 31, 2023, with offices based in Calgary.
  • Business vision and strategic direction that includes social responsibility.
  • Evidence of social, environmental and/or community impact through the business’s social responsibility or business model.

Nomination questions

  1. Briefly describe what the business does and how revenue is earned. Maximum 1000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the business’ vision and strategic direction. Maximum 6000 characters including spaces.
  3. Describe with clearly evidenced examples how the business makes a positive impact on our community. Maximum 6000 characters including spaces.
  4. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous three questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

TIP – In attachments, include anecdotal data and/or metrics to demonstrate the social impact.

Youth

Awarded to an individual Calgarian, 18 years old or younger on December 31, 2023, whose exceptional achievements improved the quality of life in Calgary or brought recognition to Calgary. The focus is on volunteer and community contributions, not academic achievement.

This award is sponsored by University of Calgary.
U of C

  1. Describe the volunteer contributions and/or exceptional achievements of the nominee that:
    • improved the quality of life in Calgary, and/or
    • brought recognition to Calgary.
    Include specific projects and durations, the nominee's role and highlight the activities in 2023. Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  2. Describe the impact of the nominee's achievements and why you believe the nominee is deserving of this award.​​​​​​​ Maximum 6,000 characters including spaces.
  3. Write a short biography about the nominee, summarizing the information you provided in the previous two questions. Please include details such as the nominee’s achievements related to the award category. (Required) Max. 1700 characters.

Contact us


For more information, call 403-268-8881 or email calgaryawards@calgary.ca.

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