CPC Annual Awards of Excellence
CPC Awards of Excellence
A Celebration of Park Leadership across Canada
Each year, the Canadian Parks Council (CPC) presents Agency and Individual Awards of Excellence to recognize and encourage extraordinary achievement, innovation, organizational leadership and the advancement of park and protected areas programs by Canada’s national, provincial and territorial park agencies. Nominations for CPC Awards are submitted through CPC Board of Director representatives.
The Awards

Micah Messent Young Professional Award of Excellence
The Micah Messent Young Professional Award of Excellence recognizes a young employee, intern, contractor or volunteer of a member agency who demonstrates leadership in ways that honour the memory of Micah Messent – a young BC Parks employee who lost his life in a tragic accident while pursuing his passion to serve and conserve Nature.

Individual Award of Excellence
Individual Awards of Excellence recognize achievement of extraordinary significance by an employee, volunteer or contractor of a member agency of the CPC.

Agency Award of Excellence
Agency Awards of Excellence recognize achievement of extraordinary significance by a member agency of the CPC.
2022 Award Recipients
The 2022 CPC Awards of Excellence Ceremony was hosted on October 25 on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish People including the territories of the Snaw-Na-Was and Qualicum people in Parksville, British Columbia.
Micah Messent Young Professional Awards of Excellence
Award Introduction Speech by Suzanne Camp, Micah Messent's mother

Joseph McLeod
National Outreach Program Officer, Parks Canada
Joe is being recognized for his passion and extraordinary leadership in delivering youth engagement programs to raise awareness, connection and love of Nature and Culture.

Alison Nagy
Historic and Cultural Resource Specialist, Saskatchewan Parks
Alison is being recognized for her passion and extraordinary leadership in raising awareness, connection to and love of the historical and cultural assets for which she is responsible.
Individual Awards of Excellence

Lindsay Vandesteeg
Land & Resource Section Head, BC Parks
Lindsay is being recognized for her extraordinary leadership efforts in creating a new BC Parks program in the area of wildfire planning and prevention.

Kate Churchill
Senior Parks Planner, Alberta Parks
Kate is being recognized for her passionate and collaborative leadership in bringing individuals, teams and governments together to advance the establishment of Big Island Provincial Park.

Heather MacDonald
Senior Policy Analyst, Parks Canada
Heather is being recognized for her exceptional leadership in cultivating a culture of collaboration across Canada’s system of parks and protected areas during the historic transition of the Canadian Parks Council from a public administered organization to a not-for-profit corporation.
Agency Awards of Excellence

Parks Canada Agency
Inclusive Sanitary Facility Design
Parks Canada in recognition for ensuring equitable and inclusive access to washrooms for all employees and visitors through the development and implementation of the 2021 Directive on Inclusive Sanitary Facility.

Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (SÉPAQ)
SÉPAQ étoilé
Sépaq in recognition of the extraordinary impacts of the ‘Sépaq étoile’ project to reduce light pollution and enhance the dark sky.