ORTA VOLUNTEER AWARDS PROGRAM
Four award categories presented at the AGM
A member shall not receive a specific award more than once. (We have reconsidered this to permit a Commendation Award for a contribution in one area and then later in another.) The selection is made by the Awards Sub-committee (usually the Past President, another Director and a Member not on the Board) based on nominations from Members.
Outstanding Member / Member of the Year Award – one award each year.
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
Commendation Awards – a maximum of 6 awarded each year
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 5th 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
Trail Builder Awards – a maximum of 4 awarded each year
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
Lifetime Achievement Award – an occasional award when merited
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
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