TORONTO, Oct. 28, 2016 /CNW/ - The Canadian Race Relations Foundation is pleased to announce the winners of the 2016 Award of Excellence, presented at the gala dinner as part of the CRRF's biennial National Conference, "Realizing an Inclusive Canada: 2017 and beyond," which took place Oct. 26 and Oct. 27. Cameron Bailey, Artistic Director of TIFF, Marcia Young, host of CBC's World Report and singer Liberty Silver, also participated in the evening.

The Award of Excellence flagship program brings together representatives of the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as individuals and agencies, whose mandate and interests are dedicated to developing innovative and effective means to combat racism and hatred in Canada. The awards are part of the CRRF's Best Practices initiative, which recognizes programs, strategies or initiatives that have demonstrated promise, success and social impact.

Special Community Champion Awards were also presented this year by the CRRF board of directors to seven individuals. This award celebrates the achievements of exemplary Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to their communities and in so doing, to the benefit of all Canadians

Toni Silberman, Vice Chairperson, CRRF and Chair of the jury panel, said, "The submissions for this year spanned the country and highlighted a great number of communities, issues and approaches. The jury panel was impressed with and encouraged by not only the high calibre of the initiatives, but also by the creativity and passion, which underscored the commitment to address communal needs as they relate to positive race relations, diversity, inclusion and good citizenship. We hope that the Best Practices Reader, from which the Awards of Excellence recipients and honourable mentions were drawn, serves as a valuable resource for the development and implementation of practical and compelling race relations initiatives towards nurturing the kind of Canada in which we all want to live."

Albert Lo Chairperson, CRRF, added, "The Award of Excellence recipients and our Special Community Champions represent an outstanding and dedicated group of individuals and organizations. Our Award of Excellence recipients, through their Best Practices, have contributed to building, with action and foresight, a deeper understanding of a cohesive and inclusive Canada. The Community Champions honoured this year have amply demonstrated their commitment to enhancing positive race relations across communities. It is these organizations and individuals who give us hope and impetus for striving toward a better tomorrow."

2016 Award of Excellence Recipients:  

• Aboriginal: Working together to change digital policy to support Indigenous broadband at the First Mile, First Mile Connectivity Consortium / First Nations Innovation Project
• Community: Tour for Humanity, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocaust Studies
• Education: Harnessing the Power of Personal Storytelling, Historica Canada
• Education: Voices into Action, FAST – Fighting Antisemitism Together
• Government: Programme de parrainage professionnel de la Ville de Montréal, Ville de Montréal

2016 Honourable Mentions

• Community: Public Awareness Program, Central Alberta Refugee Effort
• Community: Young Women, Young Leaders, Equitas – International Centre for Human Rights Education
• Education: Engaging Immigrant Youth, Vancouver School Board
• Government: Diversity Education Sessions, Bow Valley College
• Government: The Concentus Citizenship Education Project, Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission
• Youth: Sunset Service Choir, Sunset Service Toronto Fellowship
• Media: Development Workshop for Diverse Creators, CBC RadioCanada

Community Champion Special Award

• Honourable Jean Augustine
• Patricia Bebia Mawa and Moses Mawa
• Orlando Bowen
• Sid Ikeda
• Dr. Joseph Wong
• Avrum Rosensweig

For more information on the 2016 Awards of Excellence and for biographies of recipients, please visit our website: www.crrf-fcrr.ca.  

About the Canadian Race Relations Foundation

The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) is a Crown Corporation dedicated to working towards the elimination of racial discrimination. Its mission is to advance Canadian identity in the pursuit of positive race relations, equity, fairness, social harmony and dignity for all Canadians. The CRRF does this by providing independent, outspoken national leadership, informing national policies and public conversation, and acting as a resource and facilitator.

SOURCE Canadian Race Relations Foundation