Parks and Recreation Ontario | 2026 Awards of Excellence

About the Awards

The Parks and Recreation Ontario Awards program recognizes and honours individuals and organizations by highlighting outstanding innovations and achievements that contribute to the advancement of the parks and recreation sector.

Award Descriptions & Evaluation

Please review the awards descriptions before you begin your nomination. You can use this form to apply for an award(s) on behalf of your own organization or to nominate another worthy organization or individual. There is no nomination limit per organization.

Important Dates

Nomination Deadline: May 24, 2026, 5pm EST
Nomination Review & Evaluation: June 2026
Confirmation to Award Recipients: June 2026
Presentation of Awards: TBD

If you require assistance with completing your nomination, please reach out to pro@prontario.org

Nominator Information

Your name:

First Name

Last Name

Organization:

Email:

Phone number:

Please select the award category:

Award categories (Please complete one at a time. You may make multiple nominations.):

Innovation AwardHIGH FIVE® Champion: IndividualHIGH FIVE® Champion: OrganizationBob Secord Leadership Award (Student)

Innovation Award

The Innovation Award recognizes the contributions of high-performing individuals, teams, and organizations in developing innovative or unique approaches to efficiently and effectively meeting a community’s needs. This can include programming, special events, marketing, evaluation, customer service, and/or human resource management.

HIGH FIVE® Champion: Individual

The HIGH FIVE® Champion Award is presented to an individual who has shown exceptional dedication to the HIGH FIVE principles in their organization. It recognizes the work done by the individual to support implementation and honours their commitment to ensuring the well-being of children. Applications should demonstrate the achievements of the individual in all four areas of the HIGHFIVE® framework: training and development; program assessment; policies and procedures; and awareness.

HIGH FIVE® Champion: Organization

The HIGH FIVE® Champion Award recognizes organizations that are implementing the HIGH FIVE® Quality Standard in a unique and innovative way. The Award honours their dedication to children’s health and their efforts to ensure quality programming. Applications and nominations should demonstrate how HIGH FIVE® has been implemented at all levels of the organization, demonstrating a cultural shift and child-focused approach to developing and delivering children’s programs.

Bob Secord Leadership Award (Student)

Established in honour of the late Bob Secord, known to the sector as “Mr. Recreation,” PRO recognizes one college and one university student enrolled in their final year of full-time or part-time study in a recreation-related course of study. Recipients will have demonstrated positive attributes and leadership skills in the parks and recreation sector through their academic, employment, and voluntary pursuits. Recipients will receive a complimentary registration to a PRO learning event, and a one year PRO Membership. NOTE: To be considered for this award, students must be nominated by a placement supervisor or faculty member.

Are you nominating an Individual, a Team, or the Organization?

IndividualTeamOrganization

Nominee name:

Contact name:

If nominating an organization or municipality, please identify a main contact:

First Name

Last Name

Name(s) of nominated team:

Organization name:

Educational Institution:

Member Organization or Educational Institution:

Name of nominated organization:

Please use the organization's legal name

Name of program:

Position title:

Street Address

Street Address 2

City

Province

Please use the two character abbreviation for your Province / State

Postal/Zip Code

Phone number:

If selected, what name(s) should appear on recognition items?

Please describe the unique approach the nominee(s) took to meeting community needs. If selected, this information will be used at the PRO awards ceremony.

How has this individual shown exceptional dedication to the HIGH FIVE principles?

How has this organization shown exceptional dedication to the HIGH FIVE principles?

Did the nominee study full-time or part-time at the educational institution?

Full timePart time

Describe the positive attributes and leadership skills the nominee has shown in their educational, employment or volunteer setting:

Additional Comments:

Upload documentation to support your nomination (i.e., letters of support). (Optional)

Click the button to submit your award nomination. You will be able to submit multiple nominations, and can simply close the page when you are finished.

Contact pro@prontario.org if you need assistance with this form