Awards

Nominees must: 

• • be a Kingston resident, organization, or business 
  • have demonstrated positive accessibility contributions in the past three years.
  • not have accessibility-related roles in their paid work or education, unless they demonstrate an exceptional accomplishment.

Nominators must: 

• • Explain the nominee’s achievements in one or more of the following categories: 
    • • Built environment: designing, modifying, or renovating buildings, interiors, or outdoor spaces to remove barriers and improve access for people with disabilities. 
      • Customer service: removing barriers that prevent customers with disabilities from accessing the services they need.
      • Design of public spaces: making communal spaces such as trails, beaches, rest stops, outdoor play spaces, accessible parking or outdoor paths of travel more accessible.  
      • Education: removing barriers to student participation in learning at all levels from kindergarten to post-secondary and adult education. 
      • Employment: employers or coworkers making their workplaces and practices accessible to potential or current workers with disabilities. 
      • Health Care: making the health care system more accessible to patients with disabilities and their support people. 
      • Information and Communication: creating, providing, and receiving information and communications that people with disabilities can access. 
      • Transportation: making the features and equipment on transportation services, including routes and vehicles, accessible to passengers with disabilities. 
  • Can include support letters, testimonials, images, media links, or any other materials to support their nomination.

A Selection Committee, consisting of up to four Municipal Accessibility Advisory Committee members, chooses the award recipients. Nomination reviews are confidential, and decisions are final. 

The Selection Committee may accept incomplete and / or late nominations at their discretion. 

Learn more about our award winners

2023 

• Community Member: Eva Carlin, Amber Potter 
• Community Organization: Bloom Skills Centre, Extend-A-Family Kingston 

2022 

• Community Member: Bailey Daniels, Claire Davies, Leah Riddell 
• Community Organization: Polson Park Public School 

2021 

• Business: YGK Thrift 
• Community Member: Yessica Rivera Belsham 
• Community Organization: Lionhearts Inc. 

1. First Capital Distinguished Citizen: Open to all ages. This is the highest civic honour in Kingston. It recognizes a person who has spent their life doing volunteer work and who has made a significant impact on our community.   
2. Honourable Achievement: Open to all ages. This award celebrates volunteers who have made a difference in the community through their volunteer work. 
3. Civic Award for Youth Volunteerism: Open to ages 24 and under. This award recognizes youth who have demonstrated values of community service and inspired others through their volunteerism. 

The number and type of awards are at the discretion of the jury, and may include: 

1. Award of Excellence: given to projects that demonstrate all the evaluation criteria and reflect our design goals 
2. Award of Merit: given to projects that demonstrate quality in one or more of the evaluation criteria and reflect our design goals. 

All types of development are eligible, including: 

• • Residential developments 
  • Commercial developments 
  • Industrial developments 
  • Institutional developments 
  • Mixed use developments 
  • Heritage conservation projects 
  • Recreational facilities 
  • Parks, landscaping, and open spaces 
  • Public spaces 
  • Infrastructure 
  • Streetscape improvements 

The project must: 

• • be located within the municipal boundaries of the City of Kingston. 
  • have been completed between during the eligibility period. 
  • be a physical, built element or space that is visible and / or accessible to the public. 
  • be exceptional, high-quality, and individual designs (e.g., standardized corporate templates will not be accepted). 
  • not have been nominated previously for a Livable City Design Award unless significant changes or modifications to the project have taken place. 

Anyone may nominate a project. Watch for an announcement about the nomination period and be sure to submit your nomination before the deadline. After the nomination period is closed, we will confirm eligibility and select the final nominees. 

Owners and designers of eligible projects will need to acknowledge acceptance of their nomination in writing and provide the following additional information: 

• • Description of the project including background, design merits, and how the design helps the community around it 
  • Exterior photographs of the project including exterior before and after photos (if applicable), as well as photos of the construction process highlighting the project description (if available or applicable). Interior photos are only necessary if they help elaborate on the exterior elements 
  • Copies of site plans, floor plans, and elevations of the project (if applicable) 
  • Written authorization acknowledging that the information we collect becomes part of city records and will not be returned, and that we can use all information and photos to promote the program 

Submit all information electronically and together using a USB drive, an emailed cloud-storage link, CD, or DVD. Written information must in a Word document and all photographs must be a high quality .jpeg format. 

The jury will assess nominations using the following criteria: 

• • Significance 
  • How does the project contribute to our design objectives for the city’s appearance, visual identity, views, skyline, and streetscapes? 
  • How does the project contribute to the quality of the environment within a community, respecting local surroundings, making the place feel special and safe or highlighting a unique history? 
  • Innovation: Creativity in meeting project requirements and site constraints, affordability, incorporation of technology and trendsetting.  
  • Context: How well does the design fit with other buildings and plans for the area? 
  • Execution: The quality of construction materials and the interpretation of the design into reality. 
  • Sustainable Design: Demonstrates an integrated approach to design that supports environmental and sustainable site and building practices. 
  • Accessibility: Displays a high standard of Universal Design principles as set out in the City of Kingston Official Plan and our Residential Design Guidelines. 

 Additional criteria for heritage projects: 

• • Heritage: How does the project display the highest standards of conservation practice as defined in the Official Plan, “Conservation Protocol”? 

1. Creator Award 

• • For artists, artist collectives, or arts organizations 
  • Three awards are given each year to honour artistic merit and / or innovative ideas that foster arts in the city, contribute to artistic development, and express the cultural vitality of Kingston 
  • Winners get a $2,500 cash prize, an award, and a certificate of recognition 

2. Arts Champion Award: 

• • For an individual, organization, or corporation 
  • Recognizes an extraordinary, leading contribution to the arts in Kingston as a volunteer, advocate, supporter, sponsor and/or philanthropist. 
  • Winner gets an award and a certificate of recognition 

3. Limestone Arts Legacy Award: 

• • A posthumous award, for an individual, to honour their leadership and inspiration to others 
  • Recognizes significant and long-lasting contributions to the City’s arts scene and celebrates those that havehelped to create and promote different forms of art, and whose influence extends beyond the local area. 
  • Winner gets an award and certificate of recognition 

The Arts Advisory Committee creates a Nominations Working Group (NWG) every year. The NWG is responsible for selecting award winners based on the criteria outlined in the Terms of Reference for the Mayor’s Arts Awards. 

The NWG consists of five to seven members who have diverse interests, experiences, and perspectives related to the arts in Kingston. These members are respected and knowledgeable in the arts community. 

2023 

• Creator Award: 
  • • Sasha Jimenez French 
    • Savannah Shea 
    • Blue Canoe Theatrical Productions 
• Arts Champion Award:Jermaine Marshall   
• Limestone Arts Legacy Award:  Bronwen Wallace (1945–1989)   

2022 

• Creator Award: 
  • • Mariah (Mo) Horner 
    • Josh Lyon 
    • Sadiqa de Meijer 
• Arts Champion Award: Skeleton Park Arts Festival 
• Limestone Arts Legacy Award: Steven Heighton 

2021 

• Creator Award: 
  • • Ricky Brant 
    • Marney McDiarmid 
    • Theatre Kingston 
• Arts Champion Award: Katherine Porter 
• Limestone Arts Legacy Award: Walter (Wally) High