Corporate Leadership and Green Cities Award
This week in our Conservation Matters: Award-Winning Work in the Credit River Watershed series, we’re highlighting our Corporate Leadership and Green Cities award winners. This first award category, Corporate Leadership, is issued to those corporations and businesses that take action and adopt new and creative approaches to plan for an environmentally sustainable future.
If you know someone doing amazing things for the environment, be sure to nominate them for this year’s Conservation Awards program. Nominations are now open!
Corporate Leadership
Canon Canada sponsored a rain garden at St. Joseph School, a school in CVC’s Fletchers Creek SNAP neighbourhood. Since 2016, Canon has partnered with CVC on stewardship activities as part of their company’s Branch Out Program, a volunteer environmental initiative that provides employees an opportunity to give back to the community they work in.
Ardent Mills received the award for their work with CVC’s Greening Corporate Grounds program to implement a series of stewardship actions on a property they own along the Credit River in Streetsville. This property was a former milling operation since the mid-1830s. They incorporated sustainability throughout all phases of their business, including agriculture, operations, procurement and transportation. Ardent Mills took steps to conserve water, lower fertilizer usage, reduce energy and incorporate renewable energy and optimize fuel usage.
Green Cities Award
The Green Cities award, given to public entities that implement leading edge green infrastructure in new development and existing urban areas, was issued to three recipients in 2024.
City of Brampton received the award for their Grow Green Recognition Program, which was developed under the city’s Grow Green Environmental Master Plan. The program acknowledges the efforts of residents, organizations, developers and businesses that contribute to their green city. It also showcases local champions that take action to advance progress towards each of the core components of the Environmental Master Plan, including people, air, water, land, energy and waste.
Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board received the award for their work with CVC’s Students for Stormwater project team to build two rain gardens in Brampton’s established Fletchers Creek SNAP neighbourhood. The school board’s willingness to transforming its school playgrounds from turf grass to rain gardens has shown their commitment to a healthy environment. The rain gardens offer a host of benefits, including limiting the amount of water that enters local stormwater systems, helping to reduce flooding, helping with soil rehabilitation, creating pollinator habitat and helping beautify school grounds.
The City of Mississauga received the award for their Build Beautiful Stormwater Master Plan, which outlines actions and recommendations for managing rainwater over the immediate and long-term in Mississauga. This multi-generational plan will help protect businesses and residents while preserving the natural environment by refining approaches to issues facing the city, including flooding and water quality. The vision of the Master Plan outlines that through collaboration, we can build value in water resources to protect and enhance the quality of our built and natural environment.
These businesses and public entities stand out as leaders in our community who value the environment and are doing their part to help build resiliency and ensure a sustainable future.
Stay tuned for next week when we highlight our final award recipients in the Watershed Excellence category. To learn more about our Conservation Awards program or to nominate someone for this year’s awards, visit cvc.ca/ConservationAwards.