Applause Awards Presented at Gala Event

Last evening, the City of St. John’s presented its civic awards at a gala event at the St. John’s Convention Centre. Awards presented include:

Athlete of the Year
Climate Change Leadership Awards
Heritage Awards
Senior of the Year
Tourism Awards
Volunteer of the Year
Youth of the Year

The City also recognized members of advisory committees, working groups, boards and experts panels.

“For many years now, the City has celebrated and recognized the work and achievements of the community through a series of awards designed to celebrate the best in our community,” said Mayor Danny Breen. “This is the second year we have hosted this gala event, the Applause Awards, which we hope demonstrates the power of working together to enrich our capital city.”

The Climate Change Leadership Awards were presented in two categories. The Corporate Climate Change Leadership Award, for an organization that has advanced in its operations, was awarded to East Port Properties. The Community Climate Leadership Award, to recognize an organization or individual that has advanced climate action in its operations was awarded to Ordinary Spokes Community Bike Action.

Heritage Awards were presented to five properties in St. John’s:

20 Gower Street
12 Cathedral Street
21 Gower Street
15 Victoria Street
122 Pleasant Street

Volunteer of the Year was presented in three categories. Youth Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Rhadika Verma; Adult/Senior Youth of the Year was awarded to Stephen Jewczyk; and Group Volunteer of the Year was awarded to Wheels for Wishes.

The Tourism Awards were presented in three categories. The Tourism Excellence Award for an individual, organization or business was awarded to the Mummers Festival. The Legend Award, a pinnacle award for recognizing an individual or group who has made significant contributions to the enhancement of tourism in St. John’s was awarded to the Tuckamore Festival.

The Destination St. John’s Award of Distinction, recognizing a local planning committee or individual who was instrumental in bringing a meeting, conference or event to St. John’s, was awarded to the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA) for the 2022 World Aquaculture Conference.

The Athlete of the Year Awards were presented in three categories: Female Athlete, Male Athlete, and Team of the Year. Soccer player Jane Pope received the Marg Davis Award for Female Athlete of the Year; softball player Sean Cleary received the Tom “Dynamite” Dunn Award for Male Athlete of the Year; and Team Gushue Curling received the award for Team of the Year. 

The 2023 Junior Youth of the Year was awarded to Seth Hyde, a student from MacDonald Drive Junior High. The 2023 Senior Youth of the Year was awarded to Cameron Gardiner, a student at Gonzaga High School.

The Senior of the Year was awarded to Doug England, a veteran who has made significant volunteer contributions to the city.

For further details about the award recipients please see backgrounder attached.