Award Criteria
The Canadian River Heritage Award is presented every three years in partnership with the Canadian Canoe Museum. The award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution of national significance to river heritage in Canada.
Nominations are evaluated based on:
- Scope: The extent to which the nominee has positively contributed to river heritage in Canada. While regionally important actions may be recognized, they must represent a unique and enduring contribution that is notable at a national scale.
- Impact: The degree to which the actions of the nominee have had, or are expected to have, a profound and lasting influence on individuals and/or communities, and natural or cultural heritage in Canada.
Nominations will also be assessed regarding the degree to which the nominee’s accomplishments embrace diversity and advance inclusion.
Selection Process
Eligibility
The award is intended to recognize individual contributions rather than those of a group or organization. However, more than one individual can be nominated for a single award in cases where individual contributions are interrelated and complementary to the shared nomination.
Open to individuals who are current or former long-term residents of Canada. The only exceptions are elected or appointed public officials who are not eligible to be nominated while in office.
The award may be granted posthumously if the person is nominated within one year of their death or was nominated at any point prior to their death.
Individuals can be nominated more than once. A new nomination is needed in each award period for which the individual is to be considered – nominations are not carried over to subsequent award years.
Frequency
The award is presented triennially (i.e. once every three years).
Nominations are accepted on an ongoing basis but must be received by January 15 of the award presentation year to be considered.
Any nominations received after January 15 of the award presentation year will be considered for the following triennial award.
There is no limit on the number of nominations that may be received within an award period.
Nomination Submission Process
Nominations may be submitted by anyone using the approved nomination form. This form is available on the Canadian Heritage Rivers website or can be received in hard copy by contacting the Canadian Heritage Rivers secretariat.
Nominations can be submitted in English, French, or any Indigenous language spoken in Canada. As necessary, nominations will be translated by the secretariat to support their review by the nominating committee.
Nomination Review Committee
The nomination review process is facilitated by the CHRS secretariat. Nominations are reviewed by a CCM representative and a sub-committee of Technical Planning Committee members.
Nominations received during the nomination period are reviewed and ranked using a standardized scoring system to produce a shortlist of at least three, but no more than five, nominations. If multiple nominations receive the same score such that the number of equally ranked nominations exceeds five, all equally ranked nominations are included on the short list.
The short list of nominations is advanced to the selection committee by the CHRS secretariat.
Award selection committee
A representative from the Canadian Canoe Museum and members of the CHRS technical planning committee review nominations and create a short list.
Three to five names are forwarded to a selection committee composed of five individuals and includes:
- The current chair or designate of the CHRS board.
- The executive director or a designate from the CCM.
- A selection committee chair—jointly appointed by the CHRS chair/board member and CCM representative.
- An Indigenous individual with ties to the spirit and intent of the award as identified by the selection committee chair in consultation with the CCM and CHRS board representatives.
- An individual identified by the selection committee chair in consultation with the CHRS board representative and CCM representative.
Normally, only one award will be presented within an award year. However, in exceptional circumstances two awards may be presented in a given award year at the discretion of the selection committee in consultation with the secretariat.
Award Presentation
Whenever possible, the award is presented in the year in which it was awarded.
The award is presented at an in-person event hosted at either the CHRS’ AGM, the Canadian Canoe Museum or another appropriate location agreed to by the CCM and CHRS. If an in-person presentation is not possible, the award is presented in a manner agreed to by the recipient(s) in coordination with CCM and CHRS secretariat staff.
Individual awards (CHRS)
Each recipient receives a hand-made and custom engraved wooden paddle that includes the name of the award, the year in which it was received, and the name of the recipient(s).
Coordinated by the CHRS secretariat, the selection of the paddle and additional adornments may be made at the discretion of the nomination committee, secretariat and CCM in keeping with the spirit of the award and contributions of the award recipient, dependant on available budget.
Legacy recognition (CCM)
A public record of all award recipients is kept on the Canadian Canoe Museum website. The Canadian Canoe Museum also maintains a rotating display featuring the most recent recipient on a panel in the “Reflections” exhibit.
Award Rescindment or Relinquishment
In exceptional circumstances an award may be rescinded by the CHRS board and CCM representative in accordance with specified guidelines.
A person who is the recipient of the award may relinquish the award at any time and is not required to give reasons or rationale for such action.
Nomination and Selection Standards of Conduct
Statement of commitment
Individuals participating in the nominations and selection committees:
- Recognize that participation in making selections for this award is a privilege.
- Strive for integrity in all deliberations.
- Agree to communicate openly and honestly while safeguarding information received in confidence or shared in relation to deliberations concerning the award.
- Commit to remaining political neutral and carrying out responsibilities in a manner that is fair and free from bias and self-interest.
- Agree to thoroughly read the information provided on individual nominees and respond in a manner consistent with the applicable selection and review guidance for the award.
Conflict of interest statement
Members of the nomination or selection committees will openly declare any possible conflict of interest and disclose personal or work relationships with any nominees to the selection committee chair prior to scoring nominees or participating in the selection committee.
At the discretion of the board or selection committee chair, the members involved will:
- Continue to fully participate in the nomination or selection process in a manner consistent with the aforementioned statement of commitment;
- Not participate in the scoring of the nominee(s) where a possible conflict of interest has been identified; or
- Not participate in the selection committee, in which case the selection committee chair will confer with other selection committee members to find a suitable substitute.
Rescission and Relinquishment
Grounds for rescission
- The chairs of the CHRB and CCM may, by resolution and majority vote, rescind an award conferred on a person if where they find that the award was granted:
- In error; or
- In reliance on information that was later found to be false, misleading, or incomplete; or
- Under other circumstances such that had the selection committee been aware of those circumstances at the time of conferral it would not have granted the award; or
- In consideration of circumstances arising with the recipient after the award has been granted that are deemed to be inconsistent with the spirit of the award and/or decorum or ethics expected of an award recipient.
Process for rescission
If it is expected that the grounds of rescission may apply to an award recipient, the CHRB and CCM representative shall assemble a review committee to consider rescinding the award. Membership in the review committee will follow the same approach outlined in forming an award selection committee.
Prior to undertaking a rescindment, the chair of the review committee must advise the award recipient of the review process and allow the recipient to speak to the matters leading to the review.
It is expected that the review committee will seek and fairly consider evidence of the grounds for possible rescission and include a summary of their deliberations in a review report. Whenever possible, the review report should be completed within 180 days of the first meeting of the review committee and will be submitted at that time to the chair of the CHRB and CCM representative.
The review committee will share the report with the CHRB within 30 days. The CHRB will then meet within 90 days of receiving the report to hold a rescindment vote, which requires a simple majority to pass.
If the decision is made not to rescind the award, the CHRB and CCM will notify the award recipient, and no further action is needed.
If the decision is made to rescind the award, the CHRB and CCM will notify the award recipient, and the name of the recipient will be removed from any records of award recipients and replaced with a notation indicating “award rescinded on [date]”.
Public or media announcements related to the review or rescindment will be at the discretion of the CHRB and CCM.
Grounds for relinquishment
A person who is the recipient of the award may relinquish the award and is not required to give reasons or rationale for such action.
Process for relinquishment
A person who wishes to relinquish the award may do so in writing to the Canadian Heritage Rivers secretariat. Upon receiving such written notification, secretariat staff will work with the award recipient to arrange for the return of the individual award and will provide notification of the relinquishment to the CHRB and CCM.
Following notification of the CHRB and CCM, the name of the recipient will be removed from any records of award recipients and replaced with a notation indicating “award relinquished by the recipient on [date].”
Roles and Responsibilities of CHRS and CCM
Reviewing and amending this document
Either party may opt out of this award agreement through written communication to the other party. This agreement may be changed or amended at any time through the mutual agreement of the CHRB and CCM.
The CHRS secretariat will maintain a record of changes and undertake necessary actions to ensure that the most current version supersedes previous versions.
Finances and program support
Subject to normal budget approval and availability, financial support for;
- The creation of individual awards.
- Travel and accommodations for award recipients and approved guests.
- Award presentation events will be provided through the CHRS secretariat.
The Canadian Canoe Museum will provide space to host award presentation events and assume costs associated with the ongoing legacy recognition of the award on the CCM website and as a rotating physical panel displayed in the Museum Exhibit Hall.
It is understood that the CCM may seek funding support from the CHRS secretariat or others on occasion to maintain or enhance the legacy recognition of the award. Should the interest arise, commercially sponsored contributions must be approved by both the CHRS and CCM before being accepted.
Communications
Design and branding
Individual award(s) and any associated interpretive, promotional, and branding material shall be developed collaboratively by the CHRS and CCM.
Digital media presence
Administrative aspects of the award such as nomination forms are hosted on the CHRS website, with the CHRS secretariat acting as the main point of contact for the nomination and selection process.
Educational elements associated with the award will be hosted on the CCM website, with the CCM stewarding information on the history of the award and its recipients.
Both the CHRS and CCM may use their social media and other channels to promote the award, encourage nominations, and highlight award recipients and their achievements.
Media and Promotion
CHRS and CCM will jointly promote awards through their respective channels of communication and, as desired, will collaborate in the development of targeted messaging or other efforts to support raising awareness of the award and its recipients.