The Calgary Heritage Authority recognized 16 award recipients last week at the 2014 Lion Awards gala for efforts to preserve Calgary’s heritage.
“There was a tremendous response to this year’s Lion Awards from Calgarians who are helping build and preserve our community heritage” said Scott Jolliffe, Chair of the Calgary Heritage Authority. “I commend these award winners, and all applicants, for their extraordinary efforts which benefit Calgarians both today and in the future.”
The awards were presented at the historic Theatre Junction Grand, winner of a 2006 Lion Award, with over 300 members of the community in attendance, including Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
The gala event featured a special Flood Recovery Award to recognize outstanding efforts in rescuing historic resources from the effects of flood damage. Two winners were selected for the flood recovery award: The Baird/Miller residence in Elbow Park and the National Music Centre.
Despite the monumental task homeowner Cory Miller sought to preserve the 102 year old sandstone house. A focal point of the recovery effort was the repair of the original iron boiler and using unconventional methods to dry the delicate sandstone foundation of the property immediately following the flood.
The National Music Centre’s Custom House collection risked being lost in the flood. However, more than 75 volunteers spent over 2,000 hours evacuating 143 pianos, thousands of electronic parts, radios, schematics, in record time to a safe location where damaged collection items are now under restoration.
Award recipients were selected by a jury made up of five distinguished members of the community.
The Calgary Heritage Authority Lion Awards are held every two years to acknowledge heritage conservation and public awareness efforts taking place across the city and to showcase sites that defined Calgary’s past and contributed to the essence of our city.
See videos of this year's Lion Award winners in the playlist below.
Complete List of 2014 Lion Award Recipients
Resource Conservation
• Findlay Apartment Building Renovation
• National Hotel and East End Livery Barn Restoration
• Nellie McClung House Adaptive Re-use
• Old YWCA Front Porch Restoration
• T-Mac Group “Bank and Baron”
Resource Conservation – Flood Recovery
• Baird/Miller Residence
• National Music Centre
Landscape
• Poppy Plaza Landscape of Memory
• Oliver Quarry Park
Community Vitalization
• Century Homes Calgary
• cSpace King Edward Arts Hub and Incubator
Heritage Tradespeople/Craftspeople
• Rick Janzen
• Russ Heikkinen
Advocacy and Awareness
• Cynthia Klaassen
• Heritage Roundtable
• Let’s talk about... Building ICONOMY
New Design - Honourable mention only*
Honourable mentions:
• Western Canada High School Modernization
• Biscuit Block*
• Equinox Vigil in Union Cemetery
• Heritage Walking Tour of Hextall Homes in Bowness
• Alberta Champions Society in Recognition of Community Enrichment
• Rouleauville: Calgary's French Connection
• Whispering Signs: Ecological Encounters in an Urban Prairie
• History In the Making Volunteer Tradespeople
For more information on The Lion Awards, please visit www.calgary.ca/lionawards