2014 Hamilton Environmentalists of the Year Award Recipients Announced

To celebrate Earth Day, the Environmentalists of the Year Awards Committee is pleased to announce this year’s award recipients. These awards recognize the dedicated efforts of citizens, businesses and organizations to improve the environment in our community in 2014.

The Dr. Victor Cecilioni Award for the Environmentalist of the Year recognizes long-term efforts that create a significant impact in the community and this year’s recipients are Bill and Judy Wilcox, the driving force behind Hamilton Victory Gardens. In 2007, Bill and Julie started a garden at a west Mountain church and donated the produce to food banks. In 2011 they started the first Victory Garden, and by 2014, helped by a team of over 350 volunteers, Hamilton Victory Gardens produced 45,000 pounds of produce at 12 sites across the city, changing people’s lives and neighbourhoods in the process.

A Lifetime Achievement Award will be awarded to Mary Ellen Scanlon for over 30 years of dedicated personal and professional efforts focused on sustainability and the environment as a planner, project manager and community volunteer in Hamilton. Mary Ellen has worked on projects for Hamilton-Wentworth and the City of Hamilton including Vision 2020, natural heritage policy, active transportation, and the Red Hill Watershed Action Plan. She spent the last 11 years of her career as the Great Lakes Advisor for the Ministry of the Environment working on project teams associated with the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan. Recently retired, she is now on the board of the Mustard Seed Food Co-op.

An Award of Merit will be presented to Stephanie McLarty, owner of the online reuse marketplace called REfficient. This company allows other businesses to buy, resell and recycle surplus telecom/AV equipment. REfficient was Hamilton’s first Certified B Corporation and in 2013 was one of 63 companies globally named as Best For The World for environmental performance.

For media information, contact:

Barbara McKean, (905) 527-1158 ext. 247 – bmckean@rbg.ca
John Struger, (905) 547-5116 – john.struger@sympatico.ca