Rooted in RVH’s strategic plan, Vitally You, the awards highlight the people and teams who bring the organization’s values to life each day through acts of compassion and kindness, a commitment to collaboration, the courage to think differently, and a drive to continuously improve the experience of patients, care partners and colleagues. Whether at the bedside, behind the scenes, or supporting the broader community, their contributions help shape a culture where people feel valued, supported and inspired to do their best work.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our congratulations to this year’s award recipients,” said RVH Board Chair Kimberly Matheson. “They demonstrate what is possible when talent, compassion and purpose come together. Through their everyday actions, they inspire those around them and strengthen our culture, all while helping ensure patients and care partners receive the very best care. We are deeply grateful for the impact they make across RVH.”

Recipients are selected by the Board through a peer nomination process. For 2026, there were 102 unique individual and team submissions, illustrating the depth of talent within the organization and a shared commitment to excellence that continues to move RVH forward.

The 2026 RVH Board of Directors’ Awards of Excellence winners are:

Team Up Award (Individual)

Natalie Baks – Patient Service Clerk, Oncology-Outpatient Clerical

Team Up Award (Team)

Regional Privacy Team

Be Kind Award

Andrea Bertram – Senior Medical Radiation Technologist (MRT), Interventional Radiology & Angiography/Interventional

Do Great Things Award

Emily House – Decision Support Consultant, Decision Support

Inspire Trust Award

Tammy Crews – Registered Practical Nurse, Medicine Treatment Clinic

Be Bold Award

Joy Greene – Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) Navigator, Oncology Administration

Excellence in Volunteering Award

Cyrille Couvrette – RVH Volunteer

Excellence in Care (Professional Staff) Award

Dr. Mark Lewis – Chief, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine

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Behind every great visitor experience is a tourism professional who shows up when it’s hardest- and it’s time to recognize them.

The Big Applause Awards are now accepting nominations to celebrate an exceptional tourism employee or colleague who goes above and beyond to ensure our fall and winter shoulder seasons are a success.

Fall and winter tourism bring unique challenges: fluctuating demand, unpredictable travel patterns, shorter daylight hours, staffing pressures, changing schedules, and guests navigating weather, delays, and last-minute changes. It takes patience, professionalism, adaptability, and genuine care to deliver outstanding service during these seasons — and those efforts deserve to be seen and celebrated.

If you know someone who consistently rises to the occasion, supports guests with grace, and strengthens our tourism community when it matters most, we invite you to nominate them.

What’s New – To make recognition easier and more accessible, the Big Applause Awards feature one streamlined category, focused on exceptional service and impact.

What Award Recipients Receive

Top Honouree

• A $200 gift certificate to use at tourism businesses across the region
• A personalized commemorative plaque

Runners-Up

• Five additional recipients will each receive a $100 gift certificate, recognizing outstanding nominations

All Award Recipients

• Recognition through an official media release

Important Dates – Nominations close Friday, March 27, 2026

Award recipients will be announced following the close of nominations.

Let’s take this moment to acknowledge the people who keep our industry moving forward – even in the most demanding seasons.

**Click Here to Nominate for the Big Applause Award**

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Established in 2023, the Educational Assistance Awards reflect the Foundation’s commitment to strengthening local healthcare by investing in people. Since the program began, SMHF has awarded funding to four hospital staff members and four students from South Muskoka, helping reduce financial barriers and support career pathways that benefit patients and the wider community.

“We’re proud to support our healthcare teams in advancing their education and careers at the hospital. It shows our gratitude and belief in all that they do to care for the community,” says Leah Walker, SMHF Executive Director, “We hope graduating students are encouraged to return to South Muskoka Hospital knowing their Foundation and community supports them.”

For student recipients, the impact can make a real difference. Maiya Dyni, a 2025 Educational Assistance Award recipient and Medical Sciences student, shared how the award supports her academic goals:

“This award has lightened my financial load, allowing me to focus more fully on my studies and take part in meaningful extra-curricular opportunities. I’ve always dreamed of becoming a doctor, and this grant is helping turn that dream into a reality.”
Maiya also expressed her hope of returning to South Muskoka one day to both live and work as a physician, giving back to the community that invested in her education.

Applications for the 2026 Educational Assistance Awards are now open. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2026, at 4:00 pm. Full eligibility criteria and application details can be found at HealthMuskoka.ca/currentneeds.

Community members interested in supporting the Educational Assistance Awards are encouraged to visit HealthMuskoka.ca/donate or contact the Foundation team directly.

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Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) has recognized seven exceptional individuals and one team during its annual Board of Directors’ (BOD) Awards of Excellence ceremony. The Board Awards are the highest honour bestowed to celebrate members of Team RVH who embody the values and purpose of the health centre, and whose contributions have made a significant impact on patients, colleagues and the organization itself.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I extend our congratulations and gratitude to this year’s award recipients,” said RVH Board Chair Jason Teal. “Their commitment to mentoring and uplifting colleagues, driving innovation, challenging the conventional and, most importantly, their unstoppable dedication to patient care is truly inspiring. Each day, the actions of these valued individuals and team advance our purpose of making life better, with the care you need, close to home.”

Recipients are selected by the Board based on nominations submitted by their peers. For 2025, there were 123 unique individual and team submissions, showcasing the high regard Team RVH has for each other. These awards also highlight the drive for continuous improvement and excellence among the health centre’s staff, professional staff and volunteers.

The 2025 RVH Board of Directors’ Awards of Excellence winners are:

• Team Up Award (Individual) – Lisa Aubin, Registered Nurse, Dialysis/Multi-Care Kidney Clinic

• Team Up Award (Group) – Pharmacy Team

• Be Kind Award – Lauren King, Recreation Therapist, Adult Mental Health Inpatient

• Do Great Things Award – Brian Irving, Manager, Rapid Access Addiction Medicine Clinics and Withdrawal Management Services

• Inspire Trust Award – Lauren Frith, Manager, Adult Mental Health Inpatient

• Be Bold Award – Leslie Hajicostis, Senior Administrative Assistant, Administration

• Excellence in Volunteering Award – Sandy Richmond, RVH Volunteer

• Excellence in Care (Professional Staff) Award – Dr. Andrea Devrome, Physician, Vascular Surgery

The post RVH Board Of Directors Honour Outstanding Staff With Annual Awards Of Excellence   appeared first on Muskoka411.

Join Explorers’ Edge and the recipients of the 2024 Big Applause Awards for an exclusive celebratory lunch at the stunning Muskoka Bay Resort!

Click Here for the list of winners

Indulge in a delectable three-course meal crafted by Executive Chef Thomas Krieger and Senior Food and Beverage Director James May, while we come together to honor the remarkable achievements of our tourism community.

Event Highlights:

• Presentation of our inaugural “Pillar of Support Award”, recognizing an individual with exceptional dedication and support to the tourism industry.
• An exclusive update on our ambitious 2025–2026 Business and Operational Plan, shaping the future of tourism in the region.
• Celebrate and network with tourism leaders and stakeholders who make Muskoka a premier destination.

Seats are limited—reserve your spot today and be part of this momentous occasion!

RSVP Now to secure your place at this unforgettable event. Tickets are just $25 per person. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

To purchase tickets to attend this event click here.

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Muskoka Job Board

To raise awareness of the job board and jobs within Muskoka, Venture Muskoka collaborated with local marketing agency Top Water Communications to create a digital marketing plan to encourage awareness of and visitation to the job board. The target audience was those seeking work in Muskoka or willing to relocate to Muskoka for work. Marketing channels included social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, as well as search engine optimization (SEO) on Google. The successful promotion of the job board has been a key factor in raising awareness of local employment options and strengthening Muskoka’s labour market.

Launched in June 2023, the Muskoka Job Board was designed to make job searching easier by automatically pulling job opportunities from across Muskoka from over 40 online job boards. The jobs are indexed and searchable by keyword, job type, municipality, and employment preference (casual, part time or full time).

In September 2024, Venture Muskoka launched the second phase of their marketing campaign for the Muskoka Job Board through a video series to encourage career paths that are in high demand within Muskoka. The first video encourages viewers to consider a career in the tourism industry, and a second video focusing on the trades industry is being released soon.

Muskoka Workforce Strategy

Venture Muskoka hosted a workforce session on November 5th in Gravenhurst to present the Muskoka Workforce Strategy and Implementation Plan to community partners. Created through broad community consultation, the strategy is a forward-thinking approach aimed at fostering economic growth, supporting diverse industry needs, and ensuring long-term job stability for residents.

The session brought together key stakeholders from across Muskoka and beyond, representing a diverse range of community organizations, educational institutions, and government entities. The gathering was an essential step in fulfilling Venture Muskoka’s vision of building a resilient and sustainable workforce, while ensuring that supporting entities share a unified vision of the strategy’s goals. Topics included an open forum to discuss the current labour market needs and trends and to explore key points in the strategy that focus on workforce retention, skills development, and industry growth. Participants shared insights and formed valuable connections, opening the door for continued collaboration centred around workforce challenges and opportunities across the region.

“Venture Muskoka is thrilled to be recognized nationally by EDAC for promoting local employment,” said James Cox, Economic Development Officer with the Township of Muskoka Lakes and member of Venture Muskoka. “The Muskoka Job Board exemplifies our commitment to connecting employers with talent, and the recent stakeholder session underscores our dedication to regional unity with a common goal to build a vibrant, sustainable workforce across Muskoka”.

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Taking over Rogers Place in Edmonton, the 2024 CCMA Awards featured a powerhouse line-up of performers and presenters, and saw Josh Ross crowned the top winner of the evening, taking home a trio of awards including Entertainer of the Year presented by Edmonton’s Best Hotels, Male Artist of the Year, and Single of the Year for his smash hit “Trouble”.

MacKenzie Porter earned the title of Female Artist of the Year, while James Barker Band notched a win in Group or Duo of the Year and earned themselves the coveted Fans’ Choice Award. Rising star Owen Riegling scooped up the the CCMA Award for Breakthrough Artist or Group of the Year, and Jade Eagleson rounded out the night, winning the Ford F-150 Album of the Year for Do It Anyway.

The CCMA also celebrated a memorable year the night before the show, handing out 35 awards at the 2024 CCMA Music Industry Gala Dinner & Awards. Kicking off the first of two exhilarating evenings celebrating the best and brightest in country music, the gala featured memorable performances from Bahamas, Teigen Gayse, Kalsey Kulyk, Tyler Joe Miller, and Steven Lee Olsen.

The evening, hosted by Stingray Radio’s Jackie Rae Greening, who also took home the trophy for Country Personality(ies) of the Year, was full of special moments, including the 2024 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductions of Gilles Godard and k.d. lang, and Lindsay Ell honoured as the Gary Slaight Music Humanitarian Award recipient.

Multiple 2024 CCMA Award nominee Josh Ross earned both the Top Selling Canadian Album of the Year and Top Selling Canadian Single of the Year, while both Lisa Jacobs and Linsey Beckett took home their first CCMA Awards for Bass Player of the Year and Fiddle Player of the Year.

Also a first-time winner is Lindsay Hyslop, named Industry Person of the Year, and Boots and Hearts Music Festival won their seventh CCMA Award for Country Festival, Fair or Exhibition of the Year.

The 2024 CCMA Awards show is available for streaming on CTV.ca and the CTV App with an encore presentation airing on Saturday, Sept. 21 at noon ET on E! and 8 p.m. ET on CTV2. For a full list of winners from the gala and award show, visit the CCMA website.

The post Josh Ross And MacKenzie Porter Among Winners At CCMA Awards appeared first on Muskoka411.

Leadston and the other honourees received their awards at the annual Lieutenant Governors’ Legacy Awards Ceremony on Sept. 16. These awards, named after four previous Lieutenant Governors —the Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, the Honourable James Bartleman, the Honourable David C. Onley and the Honourable Hilary M. Weston — honour their legacies and contributions in the areas of anti-racism, literature, accessibility and mental health research.

“I am proud to further the legacy of my predecessors by presenting these awards that bear their name to 14 worthy recipients,” said the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. “Through their creativity, leadership and determination to improve the lives of others, they have made impressive and inspirational contributions to their communities and to our province.”

The recipients of these awards have demonstrated leadership by supporting and empowering Indigenous and underrepresented communities, following in the footsteps of the previous Lieutenant Governors. This is the first time since her appointment as Lieutenant Governor, the Honourable Edith Dumont recognized recipients at the annual award ceremony.

John Leadston is a powerful advocate for the rights of neurodivergent employees in the Ontario Public Service. Working with the Ontario Public Service’s Leadership Network and the Conference Board of Canada, he helps to provide senior public service leaders with the skills to support neurodivergent employees.

Leadston also authored a series of articles that sparked lively debate and broke down stigmas. The province awarded him the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility in the category of Employee Engagement.

The David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility recognizes the outstanding work of those who have demonstrated leadership and gone above and beyond to champion accessibility and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. The awards are given in four categories: Employee Engagement, Role Model, Youth Leadership for individuals, and Honour Roll for organizations. Individual recipients receive a $5,000 cash award and a personalized certificate.

“I would like to express my congratulations to our three remarkable recipients of the David C. Onley Award for Leadership in Accessibility,” said Raymond Cho, Minister for Seniors and Accessibility. “They have worked tirelessly to make meaningful and positive change to promote inclusion and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. I am inspired by their outstanding leadership and dedication to championing accessibility.”

For more information on the Lieutenant Governors’ Legacy Awards and its recipients, visit the province’s website.

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Top honours were awarded to Shepherd’s Home Hardware Building Centre in Armstrong, B.C., who took home the annual Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award. The award was presented to Dealer-Owners Kyle Melvin and Brett Melvin, for upholding the values on which Home Hardware was co-founded by Walter J. Hachborn 60 years ago—value, service, and dependability. The Melvins and their store were also awarded Best Home Hardware Building Centre – Western Region at the ceremony.

“We are honoured to be recognized with these awards as our store prepares to celebrate a century in the Armstrong community next year,” said Kyle Melvin, Dealer-Owner of Shepherd’s Home Hardware Building Centre. “Brett and I are the second generation of Melvins to own and operate Shepherd’s Home Hardware Building Centre and are proud of our place in the store’s history. We share this recognition with our parents, Sandy and Dale Melvin, who helped lay the groundwork for the business to become what it is today.”

The Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award acknowledges the top Home store from more than 1,000 stores across Canada for achieving the highest standards in retailing, merchandising, staff performance and overall quality and service.

“The Melvin brothers and their team at Shepherd’s Home Hardware Building Centre truly embody what the Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award stands for,” said Kevin Macnab, President and CEO, Home Hardware Stores Limited. “At Shepherd’s Home Hardware Building Centre, all customers are treated like part of the family. Kyle, Brett and the team get to know each of their customers so they can provide incomparable customer service. The Home brand is honoured to have distinguished ambassadors like Kyle and Brett.”

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