Founded in 1888, The Ontario Historical Society (www.ontariohistoricalsociety.ca) is a non-profit corporation and registered charity dedicated to increasing an appreciation of Ontario’s history and preserving its heritage for people of all ages and cultural backgrounds.

In 1967, the OHS established an Awards Programme to honour individuals and organizations who have contributed significantly to the preservation and promotion of Ontario’s heritage.

The Museum Award of Excellence in Community Programming, awarded to a non-profit public museum in Ontario showing excellence in community involvement and programming—Grey Roots Museum and Archives, Owen Sound.

The Russell K. Cooper Living History Site or Heritage-Based Museum Award, awarded to a living history museum, or a museum that delivers heritage-based programming, showing excellence in programming, ingenious problem solving, or site development—the John R. Park Homestead, Essex.

The B. Napier Simpson Jr. Award of Merit, awarded to a municipal heritage committee in Ontario for special contributions to heritage conservation—the Oro-Medonte History Association.

The President’s Award, honouring a corporation, business, or executive that has contributed to heritage conservation in the recent past—Rob and Doug Shouldice of Shouldice Designer Stone, Shallow Lake.

The Cruikshank Medal, presented on rare occasions to individuals who have performed with distinction on behalf of The Ontario Historical Society—Chris and Pat Raible, Creemore.

The Carnochan Award, awarded to an individual who has contributed many years of service to the heritage community—Joy Ormsby, Town Historian, Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Fred Landon Award, honouring the best book on regional history in Ontario published within the past three years, was awarded to Françoise Noël for Family and Community Life in Northeastern Ontario, The Interwar Years, McGill-Queen’s University Press.

The Certificate of Merit in the category of the Fred Landon Award, honouring the best book on regional history in Ontario published within the past three years, was awarded to Christine Cowley for Butchers, Bakers & Building the Lakers: Voices of Collingwood, Life Gems Personal Histories.

The Alison Prentice Award, honouring the best book on women’s history published in the past three years, was awarded to Susan Butlin for The Practice of Her Profession, Florence Carlyle, Canadian Painter in the Age of Impressionism, McGill-Queen’s University Press.

The J. J. Talman Award, honouring the best book on Ontario’s social, economic, political or cultural history published in the past three years, was awarded to Jean Morrison for Labour Pains, Thunder Bay’s Working Class in Canada’s Wheat Boom Era, Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society.

The Riddell Award, honouring the best article on Ontario’s history published during the Award year, was awarded to Dennis Carter-Edwards for “Promoting a ‘Unity of Feeling’ The Rebellions of 1837/1838 and the Peterborough Region”, Ontario History (Vol. CI, No. 2 Autumn 2009), The Ontario Historical Society.

The Donald Grant Creighton Award, honouring the best book of biography or autobiography highlighting life in Ontario, past or present, published within the past three years, was awarded to Alan D. Butcher for Unlikely Paradise: The Life of Frances Gage, Dundurn Press.

2009 Honours and Awards Recipients