The 12th annual Waterloo Award was presented at city council on Nov. 23. The award is distributed to up to three nominated individuals per year in honour of their great civic duty.
Don Cowan, professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo (UW), received the Waterloo Award for his contributions to computer sciences and development of online smart communities in the region.
“A big thing that I’ve tried to accomplish is to take organizations which are known as non-governmental organizations … and help them implement info tech systems that can be used by people,” said Cowan.
Cowan provided the example of the website he helped develop for the Volunteer Action Centre.
“It has actually increased people interested in volunteering by 100 per cent since it went into operation four years ago.”
The second recipient of the award, David Graham, is a chartered accountant and community leader. Graham was nominated for his contribution to organizations such as St. Mary’s Hospital and KidsAbility.
“There are so many people who contribute to this community and many far more than I do… so I’m very appreciative of it,” said Graham.
Unable to attend the evening’s ceremony was the final recipient, Tim Jackson. Jackson was recognized for his leadership in the Waterloo Region Children’s Museum and presidential role in the Food Bank of Waterloo Region.
Jackson will be receiving his award on Dec. 14.
