A plaque with the ORTA Logo and the recipient’s name.  Presented to the Member who in the past has done the most to advance the purposes of the ORTA.  Continuing members of the Board would not be eligible.  (This rule broken in 2009 and 2010!)  Recipients:

2000       Fiona Cowles

2001       Peter Attfield

2002       Al Shaw

2003       Bill Roberts

2004       Harold Sellers

2005       Barry Hammerton

2006       Charlie Atkinson and Brian Logan

2007       Gail Morris

2008       Ginny Johnson

2009       Stan Butcher

2010       Tim Lawley

2011       Brian Buckles

2012       Joan Taylor

2013       no award but see Special Presentation below

2014       no award

2015       David Francis

2016       Kim Aagaard

2017       Kelly Mathews

2020       Stan Butcher

2021       Michele Donnelly

2022       Bill McCullough

2023       Josipa Klostranec

A framed certificate giving the recipient’s name and reason for award.  Presented to those Members who have made significant contributions in the past to the ORTA.  Recipients:  

2000       Peter Attfield, Bill Roberts, Tom Atkins, Pauline and Keith Dixie

2001       Roy Forrester, Bob Hughes, Brian Logan, Harold Sellers

2002       Gary Collins, Jill Doble, Gary Ford, Diane Hughes, Teresa Porter, Eric Worsley

2003       Charlie Atkinson, Sylvia Gilchrist, Ray Matsalla, Laura Novikow, John M. Scott, Ralph Shier

2004       Rick Patterson, Chris Johnston, Janet Atkinson, Suzanne Summers, Tony Holmes, Peter Bramma

2005       Bruce Chambers, Garry Niece. Charlotte Owen, Ginny Johnson, Ed Millar, Marilyn Mussell,

2006       Bill Smith

2007       Tim Lawley for the UTAP and TAOC Projects

Joan Taylor for Hike Leadership

Fiona Cowles for the Guidebook

Susan Sellers for the Website

Wilma Millage for Publicity

Peter Schaefer for Trail Director

2008      

Brian Millage for leadership and team-building Uxbridge Chapter

Linda Tyndall for management of our finances

Petra Hartwig as Association Secretary

Ken Kishibe for recruiting Volunteers & organizing the 2008 AGM

Stan Butcher for leadership as President

2009      

David Wells for dedication and expertise as Editor of Trail Talk

John Saringer for leadership as Chair of Whitchurch-Scugog Chapter

Elizabeth Stewart for leadership as Chair of Scugog Chapter

Bob Comfort for significant contributions to the Adventure Relay

Diana Smythe for enthusiastic broadening of our Publicity

Russ Burton for leading a variety of hikes

2010      

Peter Attfield for expert contributions to the Guidebook

Rhys Beak for development of the Richmond Hill Chapter

Fiona Cowles for publication of the 5^th Edition of the Guidebook

Bob Hughes for service on the Executive as Membership Coordinator

Bill Roberts for communications for the Monday and Wednesday Hikers

2011      

Jean and Dennis Trowse for service as Trail Captains and Adventure Relay Checkpoint Co-ordinators

Dianne Hughes for Membership Database management

Audrey Fullerton for much work behind the scenes

Fatemeh Amini for leading hikes

Jill Doble as Association Secretary

2012      

Ruth Patterson in recognition of her significant contributions to publicity in the local media

Corie Bonnaffon in recognition of her coordination of the Adventure Relay Checkpoints

Kim Chen in recognition of significant contributions to the development of our hiking program

Jacqueline Bapooji in recognition of her editorial expertise applied to our Trail Talk

Diana Smyth in recognition of her leadership of Discovery Nights

2013      

Kim Aagaard for his work in organizing ORTA’s financial and regulatory compliance and providing valuable office support

Juergen Friedrich for his excellent photography which promotes our Adventure Relay

Frank Alexander for his tireless support to projects, trail workers and hike leaders everywhere across the ORMT.

Grace Moores for leading hikes and keeping ORTA alive in Clarington

Garry Niece for leadership of the Discovery Night Program

2014      

Malcolm Hann as Hike Program Co-ordinator

Brian and Kathy Clark for leading hikes

Bob and Judy Comfort for their support to many ORTA activities

Rhys Beak for serving as Chapter Chair, Richmond Hill

Brian Millage for chairing the Adventure Relay

2015      

Josipa Klostranec recognizing her as a dedicated Hike Leader

Hannah Sweet recognizing her contributions as Webmaster

Jerry Wajgensberg for his dedication to the Mood Walks program.

Michele Donnelly for her enthusiastic support of the Adventure Relay

Ronald Ting for his work in administration of the Hike Schedule

Vicky Chen for designing our new Website

2016      

Bob Comfort for the system collating Adventure Relay data in real-time

Pat Ward for the system collating Adventure Relay data in real-time

Audrey Fullerton for distribution of Guidebooks to retail vendors

Jacky Bramma for her unique contributions in song at our Christmas parties!

Bruce Corbett for keeping the Aurora Chapter together and representing ORTA at meetings regarding Town developments

Garry Niece recognizing him as a dedicated Hike Leader

John Fuchs recognizing him as a dedicated Hike Leader

2017      

Russ Burton – hike leader, Relay competitor, managing bar service for events

Lena McDonell – driving force for first application to IBM for grants.  Continued involvement in on-going activities with the company.

Bill Morrison – Active in maintaining trail as Co-Chair of Scugog chapter as well as leading hikes

Monica Rothman – one of first Relay checkpoint Captains, continued until 2017.

Bill Pressmar – great example of 80+ members -enjoys hikes, volunteers for Relay and trail maintenance.

2018      

Jim & Sharon Bradley

Katy Holmes

Ruth Mori

Judy Pergau

Diana Piche

Tessa Shelvey

2019

Mike Bender -Enthusiastic supporter of ORTA in partnership with TRCA and captain of the TRCA Racers Team.

Marilyn Bardeau – Trail Talk co-editor for several years working to present a polished and informative newsletter.

Frank Alexander – Check Point Captain in the Adventure Relay. Serving on the committee for Publicity and Volunteers.

Noel and Judy Carey – Adventure Relay organizing committee, soliciting and presenting prizes.  Relay Checkpoint volunteers and participants on the ORTA Sandspinner team.  

Robert Alsop – Official photographer at the finish line of the Relay, also producing Relay promotional video on website. 

Noel Bain is one of our valued hike leaders.  She and her dog Ginny are a great team to follow on our trails. 

2020

Kevin Lowe – Hike Ontario Hike Leaders course instruction for over four years and 200 candidates.

Lissa Dwyer – Organizing ORTA’s presentation booth at the Aurora Street Festival annually.

Dianne and Bob Charlton – Involvement in ORTA’s Discovery Night monthly meetings for several years.

Mina Kazemnia – As a long time serving hike leader for ORTA.

David Francis – As a long time serving hike leader for ORTA.

Bill Patterson – ORTA’s Adventure Relay photographer traveling the whole relay route.

2021

Bill Schoenhardt – Educating students on the merits of volunteering and community involvement, leading them in hikes on the trail and participating in trail maintenance.

Garry Conway and Pam Heron – Garry has been active in photo projects and publicity for the trail and both enthusiastically participate in the Adventure Relay over the years.

2022

Gail Dutchak – years of leading hikes

Cornelius Sommer – years of leading hikes

Carol Fraser – years of leading hikes

Caiti McLelland – Whitchurch/Stouffville Co-chair, maintenance

 2023     

John Weston – Trail Captain in Richmond Hill and recently started leading hikes.

Anna Sunn – Hike Leader who regularly conducts hikes and assisted with upgrading trail signage for the Trans Canada Trail along the ORTA trails in Uxbridge.

A framed certificate giving the recipient’s name

Presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the building and maintenance of the trail.  Past Recipients:        

2003       Colin Barnett, Ed Millar, Dennis and Jean Trowse

2004       Bob and Judy Comfort, Robert Johnston, Peter Schaefer, Bill Smith

2005       Doug Ferguson, Carl Cornell, Sheilagh Crandall, Charlie Atkinson

2006       Brian and Wilma Millage, Elizabeth Stewart, Ray Matsalla, Don Lycett

2007       Eric Worsley, John Scott, Joye Cornell,

2008       Barry Moir, Trail Captain in King 

Martin Earle of Uxbridge Chapter

Elizabeth Elliot as trail captain in Scugog.

Dave Hinton for the Bluebird Side Trail in Clarington

2009       Noel and Judy Carey, Trail Captains in Uxbridge Chapter

2010       David Reid Brown, Trail Captain in Uxbridge Chapter

Ed Millar for over a decade of Trail Management in King Chapter

Garry Niece for Moraine-wide Trail Developments 

2011       David Mathias for Trail Management in Whitchurch-Stouffville Chapter

              Frank Alexander for organization of the Aurora and Whitchurch-Stouffville Chapters

2012       Bill Pressmar in recognition of his work as a Trail Captain in Aurora

2013       Roy and Katie Holmes in recognition of their work on the Oak Ridges Moraine Trail in Uxbridge

2014       Len May

              Bill McCullough

2015       Bill Patterson in recognition of his work on the trails in King

2016       Brian Millage for negotiating and implementing the new route to the terminus with the Bruce Trail

2017       Dave Whiffen – Caledon Chapter member – various projects in Palgrave Forest with crew of friends to repair boardwalks and cleared storm damage.

2018       Bill Fines, Jon McPhee

2019       Tracy McNaught volunteers in the Whitchurch Stouffville section, particularly busy with trail maintenance in the spring prior to our Relay.

2020      Bruce Cohen, Trail Captain for the Goodwood Tract in the Uxbridge Chapter.

             Neil McGeachy, Caledon Chapter Chair.

2021      Jim Rhyness – Trail Captain in Whitchurch-Stouffville for several years and also serving as Co-chair for the Whitchurch-Stouffville chapter. 

2022      David Smith – Trail Captain in the Porritt Tract and Pangman Springs

             Martin Earle – Continuing trail improvements in Secord area ‘highest maintenance section of trail’

             Noel and Judy Carey – Hours of chain sawing and clearing after the 2022 tornado

             Bob and Judy Comfort – Hours of chain sawing and clearing after the 2022 tornado

2023      Rodney Harrison – Rodney is a one-man trail maintenance team as he frequently monitors the trails of Caledon, trimming and clearing branches and fallen trees.  He has also participated in several boardwalk builds across the whole trail.

             Craig Barnes – Craig has been a valuable trail worker for several years.  He has worked in King and Uxbridge chapters wherever maintenance or trail builds are required.  He has also taken a chainsaw certification course to help out on big jobs. 

A superior plaque with the ORTA Logo and the recipient’s name.

The recipient will be one who has made a significant contribution of his or her time and expertise to the work of the ORTA over a sustained period of 5 to 10 years.   

An ongoing member of the Board would not be eligible. (this was over-ridden in 2016, 2019, 2020)

2004       Tom Rance.

2007       Robert Ellison

2009       Harold Sellers

2010       Tom Atkins

2011       Fiona Cowles

2011       Peter Attfield

2014       Diane and Bob Hughes

2015       Stan Butcher

2016       Ed Millar

2018       Peter Schaefer

2019       Wilma Millage

2020       Brian Millage

2021       Frank Alexander

2022       Kevin Lowe

2023       Garry Niece

2013       Special Presentation of a framed photo to Kim Gavine, retiring Executive Director of the Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation, in recognition of her work to develop and support the ORMT Strategy and the Adventure Relay