2012 Canada Awards for Excellence Recipients Announced

General Media Release – October 29, 2012

Toronto – Excellence Canada is pleased to announce that 29 Canadian organizations will receive the Canada Awards for Excellence for outstanding performance in categories that include Excellence, Innovation & Wellness, Quality, Healthy Workplace®, and Mental Health at Work.

Gary Seveny, Chairman of the Board of Governors of Excellence Canada, stated: “The recipients of this year’s Canada Awards for Excellence are outstanding organizations and serve as role models of excellence in leadership and governance, strategy and planning, the customer experience, and employee engagement. The recipients, as well as all the Excellence Canada Partners, are making a tangible contribution not only to their own organizations, but to Canada as a whole.”

The Canada Awards for Excellence is an annual awards program to recognize outstanding achievement by organizations in Canada. Allan Ebedes, President and CEO of Excellence Canada commented: “This year marks the 28th anniversary of the Canada Awards for Excellence. We are delighted to have the Patron of the Canada Awards for Excellence His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, present our highest award, the Order of Excellence, to seven organizations. Awards recipients are recognized for achieving pre-determined milestones on their organization’s excellence journey, for their leadership and commitment to excellence, innovation, quality, leadership, customer experience, workplace wellness and a Healthy Workplace®. In addition, these award recipients have demonstrated that they are socially, environmentally, and economically responsible citizens and work hard each and every day to promote excellence in their organizations.”

Excellence Canada is a not-for-profit, independent organization with a mandate to help private and public sector organizations implement programs of excellence. Excellent organizations share the same principles. Employees and customers seek out organizations with these principles. Excellence Canada certifies and recognizes organizations that live by these principles. Excellent organizations recognize that a strategy to improve mental and physical health is the backbone of a healthy workplace and is essential to attract and retain the best people.

The awards will be presented at the 2012 Canada Awards for Excellence on Friday, November 2nd at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto.

To download a copy of this media release: Click here for English, Click here for French.

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Recipients of the 28th Canada Awards for Excellence, 2012

ORDER OF EXCELLENCE AWARD

This is the highest level of recognition presented by Excellence Canada.

The following organizations have successfully maintained a focus on excellence over the long term and have previously received the CAE Gold Trophy. These awards will be presented by His Excellency, the Right Honourable David Johnston, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., the Governor General of Canada.

Order of Excellence: Excellence, Innovation and Wellness

• College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Saint Elizabeth Health Care, Markham, Ontario

Order of Excellence: Healthy Workplace®

• Seaview Manor Corporation, Glace Bay, Nova Scotia

Order of Excellence: Quality

• Diversicare Canada Management Services Co., Inc., Mississauga, Ontario
• Manulife Investment – Operations, Waterloo, Ontario
• Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Government of Ontario, Province of Ontario
• Ontario Parks, Ministry of Natural Resources, Government of Ontario, Peterborough, Ontario

EXCELLENCE, INNOVATION, AND WELLNESS AWARD

This award is based on Excellence Canada’s Progressive Excellence Program® (PEP) – Excellence, Innovation and Wellness Standard. Presented by Sun Life Financial.

Silver Award Recipients

• Certified Management Accountants of Ontario (CMA Ontario), Toronto, Ontario
• PowerStream Inc., Vaughan, Ontario

HEALTHY WORKPLACE® AWARD

The Healthy Workplace® award, presented by Great-West Life, is based on Excellence Canada’s Canadian Healthy Workplace® Framework developed in partnership with Health Canada and in association with professionals from the health and wellness sectors.

Gold Award Recipients

• Lassonde Industries Inc. and A. Lassonde Inc., Rougemont, Québec
• Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Government of Ontario, Province of Ontario
• Solareh Inc., St. Laurent, Québec
• SSQ, Life Insurance Company Inc., Québec, Québec
• Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor, Ontario

Silver Award Recipients

• Services Financiers Gauvreau Ouimet et Associés inc., Chicoutimi, Québec
• Upper Canada District School Board, Brockville, Ontario

Bronze Award Recipient

• Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

HEALTHY WORKPLACE® AWARD FOR SMALL ORGANIZATIONS

This award recognizes excellence in organizations with less than 50 employees and is based on the Excellence Canada’s Healthy Workplace® 10 Point Criteria for Small Organizations. This award will be presented by Great-West Life.

Gold Award Recipient

• The Centre for Organizational Excellence, HROntario, Ministry of Government Services, Government of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario

MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK® AWARD

This award is based on Excellence Canada’s Progressive Excellence Program® (PEP) – Mental Health at Work® Standard. Presented by Great-West Life.

Bronze Award Recipients

• Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board, Hamilton, Ontario
• Saint Elizabeth Health Care, Markham, Ontario

QUALITY AWARD

This award is based on the Canadian Framework for Excellence which is used by numerous organizations as a management model for continuous improvement and the achievement of significant operational results. These awards will be presented by Ricoh Canada.

Gold Trophy Award Recipients

• The Regional Municipality of Durham, Social Services Department, Whitby, Ontario
• Windsor Regional Hospital, Windsor, Ontario

Silver Award Recipients

• Atlantic Lottery, Moncton, New Brunswick
• TRIGONE, Chicoutimi, Québec
• Strategic Human Resources Services Branch, Ministry of Finance, Province of Ontario, Oshawa, Ontario
• The Law Society of Upper Canada, Client Service Centre, Toronto, Ontario

Certificate of Merit Recipients – Project Category

• Certified Management Accountants of Ontario (CMA Ontario), Toronto, Ontario
• Saint Elizabeth Health Care, Markham, Ontario

EDUCATION AWARD

The Education Award, presented by Ricoh Canada, is based on comprehensive quality criteria modeled after the Canadian Excellence in Education progressive program.

Silver Award Recipient

• Orono Public School, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, Orono, Ontario

RECOGNITION OF ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

From time-to-time, and not necessarily on an annual basis, the Excellence Canada Board of Governors recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to Canadian society and/or the global human condition. Past Award recipients have included Dr. David Suzuki, former Prime Minister The Right Honourable Brian Mulroney, Lt.-General The Honourable Roméo A. Dallaire, and Sir Richard Branson. This year, in keeping with the Summit theme “Excellence, Innovation & Wellness”, the Board of Governors is presenting a Special Recognition of Achievement Award for Innovation to the Founder and CEO of Facebook, Mr. Mark Zuckerberg.

PROUD SPONSORS OF CANADIAN EXCELLENCE

Excellence Canada gratefully acknowledges the support of the following organizations that have helped make this year’s events possible.

Champions of Excellence
Great-West Life
Sun Life Financial

Benefactor Sponsor
Ricoh Canada

Advocate Sponsor
Manulife Financial

Supporter Sponsors
Desjardins Financial Security
Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Region of Peel
The Westin Harbour Castle

Industry Sponsors
Alterna Savings & Alterna Bank
Atlantic Lottery
Calian Technologies Ltd
Citrus Co.
Ontario Teachers Insurance Plan
VIA Rail Canada
XEROX

Media Sponsors
National Post
Your Workplace Magazine

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