2021 Green Award Winners Announced
November 16, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Urban League of London announced today the winners of this year’s Green Umbrella and Green Brick Awards. The annual awards recognize exceptional individuals and outstanding developments in the city of London. Past winners include Jane Bigelow, Todd Sleeper, Wood St Food Forest and Covent Garden Market.
Since 1975 the Green Umbrella Award has recognized an individual, or occasionally an organization, demonstrating outstanding community citizenship and leadership in the city of London, as evidenced by a significant body of work. This year’s winner is Sarvarinder Singh Dohil, president of Guru Nanak Mission Society.
“The leadership Sarvarinder has shown in helping others by organizing hot meals for people in need since the start of the pandemic, and continuing to champion Guru Nanak’s blood donation drives emulate the Green Umbrella award, demonstrating outstanding community action'' said Skylar Franke, President of the Urban League. “His efforts, particularly over the past 18 months, are a tremendous example of someone working to improve the lives of our fellow Londoners.”
The Urban League started giving Green Brick awards in 1984 to recognize an outstanding built form project in the city, usually where the development has engaged members of the community at both the planning and development stages of the project. Joint winners this year are Kiwanis Park Natural Playground and Lorne Avenue Park.
“These two landmark community parks were both envisioned, developed, and designed through strong community vision and participation,” notes award nominator Sandra Miller. Both parks feature strong ecological design helping to raise awareness of environmental issues, while also being wonderful community spaces.
Sarvarinder Singh Dohil and representatives of Kiwanis Park Natural Playground and Lorne Avenue Park will be honored at this month’s Urban League General Monthly Meeting on Thursday, November 25 at 7pm ET.
The Urban League is an umbrella organization representing more than 40 neighbourhood and community associations in London. Strong and connected communities are the building blocks of a vital, equitable and sustainable city. For over 50 years the Urban League has been working to engage and inform Londoners to improve and connect our city.
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Please direct any media inquiries to Skylar Franke: Email or 226-700-6945
ABOUT THE WINNERS
Green Umbrella - Sarvarinder Singh Dohil
Nominator: Harmanjot Kaur
Sarvarinder Singh Dohil is the president of Guru Nanak Mission Society, London ON. He has been volunteering in the community since 2010. He volunteered in the past with many different organizations,and also has received many recognitions for his hard work.
Currently serving as president of Guru Nanak Mission Society, he is organizing various projects such as serving the London community during the difficult times of pandemic by serving freshly prepared hot meals to different organizations and people in need. Apart from this, under his supervision, the blood donation drive, plantation drive and many other events are being organised every year. Apart from this, he always organizes Multicultural events every year such as Baisakhi Celebration which is a significant festival of Sikhism.
Many new upcoming projects are coming which have never happened in London before under his leadership. Throughout this pandemic, he never stopped helping. He immediately started to round up his community to make meals for My Sister’s Place and other community groups and fed huge amounts of people through free community meals.
Green Brick - Kiwanis Park Natural Playground & Lorne Avenue Park Nominator: Sandra Miller
These two landmark community parks were both envisioned, developed, and designed through strong community vision and participation.
They both feature strong ecological design which is a new direction for London's parks. The exciting new natural-themed and accessible landscaping and play structures show the way that we can use existing environments, as well as restore and rejuvenate our urban public places for communities. The designs also help raise awareness of environmental issues including Monarch and other butterfly migration; natural habitats for bees, insects, and birds; and more resilient native plant species. The historical elements incorporated into the Lorne Avenue Park are an additional feature that celebrate the long legacy of the former school as well as the neighbourhood's close-knit history.
Matthew Juszczynski submitted the idea for the Kiwanis Park Natural Playground through a successful Neighbourhood Decision Making program grant, and City Parks staff and Earthscape consulting worked with the community to bring the vision to life:
The Lorne Avenue Park Steering Committee and community worked with City Parks staff and Shift Landscape Architecture to bring the vision to life: