2022 Green Award Winners Announced
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Urban League of London is pleased to announce the winners of our Green Brick and Green Umbrella Awards! These 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 Frances Moore.
“Frances has been involved in numerous community initiatives over the years, contributing significantly to advancing Indigenous knowledge, understanding and reconciliation in London and beyond,” says Past President Shawna Lewkowitz. “The list of things she is involved with is long and meaningful and London's journey towards reconciliation has advanced thanks to Frances’ commitment, knowledge and care.”
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. This year’s winner is the City of London - Cancelling Wonderland Road Widening.
“The cancellation of this project saved taxpayers $212 million dollars, mitigated emissions, improved pedestrian experiences (by not implementing 6 lanes), and demonstrated a real commitment to reviewing transportation decisions with a climate lens,” said former President Skylar Franke. “The absence of this project makes our city better.”
Award winners will be honoured at the Urban League 2022 Annual General Meeting, happening on June 22, 2022 at Aeolian Hall from 7–9pm.
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 Morena Hernandez.
ABOUT THE WINNERS
Green Umbrella - Frances Moore
Frances Moore is a Nshwaasnangong Family Centre Manager at Southwest Ontario Aboriginal Health Access Centre, and an Indigenous Teacher. She has been a longtime Board member of Life*Spin, part of the selection committee for the Pillar Innovation Awards, member of the London Police Service Collaboration and Partnership Working Group and recently hosted an award winning CBC London Morning series for Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Green Brick - City of London, Cancelling Wonderland Road Widening
A partially complete environmental assessment for a project to widen Wonderland Road between Southdale and Sarna—which began in 2017—had considered bumping the four-lane road to six-lanes. The Climate Emergency Screening Tool (CEST)—born of the city declaring a climate emergency in 2019—review notes a widened version of the west London corridor “is predicted to experience a return of congestion due to induced demand while creating accessibility pressures.” The suspension of Wonderland Road’s widening to six lanes was the subject of a lengthy debate between councillors that ultimately saw its proponents come out on top. More information can be found here.