Coming soon! RCE Saskatchewan’s 16th Annual Awards for Achievement in Education for Sustainable Development, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 9:30 am – 2 p.m. CST, in-person and livestream.
Gallagher Centre, 455 Broadway Street West, Yorkton
Join us for a unique event honouring champions in sustainability from across the province. The event will honour 41 Saskatchewan projects at a gathering focused on the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan, will present the awards.
The projects all educate, encourage and engage others in local action that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Recipients will include homegrown projects and programs from such diverse groups as the Universities of Regina and Saskatchewan, SaskOutdoors, Ahtahkahkoop First Nation, Yorkton Community Fridge, Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation, and others. All dimensions of ecological, economic, social, and cultural sustainability are represented.
This is the 16th year for the event, with more than 300 awards being presented since it was started in 2007. RCE Saskatchewan created the awards to honour Saskatchewan sustainable development leaders from businesses, towns and cities, educational institutions and community-based organizations. The RCE is a voluntary network (with founding partners including the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewan Polytechnic), and is one of more than 190 Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development around the world that are formally recognized by the United Nations University. The event is held in a different community every year, this year being co-hosted with the Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society.
Several special recognitions will also be awarded. The “Building Operator Training for the Community Housing Sector Conservation Learning Centre” by the Saskatchewan Environmental Society will be awarded the Excellence in Education for Sustainable Development in the Community Award. Canora Composite School will receive the Lyle Benko Future Generations Award for its “CCS Wellness and Sustainability Initiative” project for outstanding Education for Sustainable Development in Kindergarten to Grade 12. Brooke Klassen of the Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan will receive the Dr. Garth Pickard Award for Post-Secondary Excellence in Education for Sustainable Development for their “Embedding Sustainability in MBA 803: Business and Society”.
The lunch keynote address on Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Future will feature, Kaitlyn Kitzan, a dedicated business development professional from Yorkton with a deep-rooted connection to agriculture. After the awards ceremony, the event’s co-host will provide a guided tour of the downtown ending at the Historic Yorkton Brick Mill.
RCE SK Co-Coordinator, Dr. Roger Petry, is thrilled with another record number of applicants this year. “Saskatchewan has been and continues to be a global leader in sustainable development, and the positive, creative, and focused work of all our recipients is well deserving of recognition. Each has a wonderful story to tell, and our annual awards ceremony is their opportunity to shine.”
The 2024 event is sponsored by Mosaic, University of Saskatchewan, SaskEnergy, City of Yorkton (Gallagher Centre), University of Regina, SIGA, SaskTel, Campion College, Luther College at the University of Regina, MacPherson Engineering, and SaskOutdoors.
RCE Saskatchewan 2024 Award Recipients
| Municipal-Led Projects | |
| Business Organics Regulation and Education Program | City of Saskatoon |
| Projects by Cultural, Faith, Non-profit, and Community-based Organizations | |
| Yellowhead Nature Society / Road Allowance Project | Yellowhead Nature Society |
| Saint Mary’s Anglican Church Community Kitchen | Saint Mary the Virgin Anglican Church |
| Outdoor Learning Educator’s Collaboration Circuit | SaskOutdoors |
| The Wandering Market | Nadine Lee |
| Advancing Women in Conservation Summit | Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation |
| Grasslands History | Carmen Gilmore |
| Enhancing Park Trail Management | Rylan Thiessen |
| Soaring Prairies | Jana Sasakamoose |
| Yorkton Community Fridge | Yorkton Community Fridge |
| Duncairn Reservoir Migratory Bird Sanctuary Stakeholders | Duncairn Reservoir Migratory Bird Sanctuary Stakeholders Group |
| Last Mountain Neighbours: Across the Fence for Common Sense | Last Mountain Neighbours: Across the Fence for Common Sense |
| Saskatchewan Alliance of Water Sustainability Letter Campaign | Saskatchewan Alliance of Water Sustainability |
| Pond Dipping Program | Saskatoon Zoo Society |
| SaskSoil | SaskSoil |
| SCIC Reading Circle for Saskatchewan Educators | The Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation |
| Excellence in Education for Sustainable Development in the Community Award | |
| Building Operator Training for the Community Housing Sector | Saskatchewan Environmental Society (SES) |
| Primary and Secondary School Initiatives | |
| Biobed Demonstration Project at ECRF/Suncrest Research Farm | Suncrest College |
| Suncrest College Skills for Success: Sustainable Construction | Suncrest College |
| St. Pius X Wellness Days | Ecole St. Pius X School |
| Lyle Benko Future Generations Award (Excellence in K-12 Education for Sustainable Development | |
| CCS Wellness and Sustainability Initiative | Canora Composite School |
| Post-Secondary Initiatives and Course-based Projects by Post-Secondary Students | |
| Carbon Capture Wastewater Treatment and Reuse | Dr. Stephanie Young, University of Regina |
| Source Nutrients Management for Lake Diefenbaker Irrigation | Dr. Stephanie Young, University of Regina |
| Alternative to Septic/Holding Systems for Ochapowace Nation | Dr. Stephanie Young, University of Regina |
| Okanese Water Treatment Alternatives and Facility Upgrades | Dr. Stephanie Young, University of Regina |
| Environmental Sustainability of Canadian Agri-food Systems | Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina |
| Sustainability and Resilience of Canadian Waste Management Sectors | Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina |
| Satellite-based Construction Waste Quantification | Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina |
| The Role of BIM Technologies in Sustainable Construction and Demolition Waste Management | Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina |
| E-waste Collection and Stewardship Programs in Canada | Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Regina |
| Mechanical Properties of Recycled PET Concrete Mix | Ramon Ricafort |
| Recycled Styrofoam(EPS) as Hybrid Insulating Wall Panel | Ramon Ricafort |
| Student Sustainability Innovation Competition | Office of Applied Research and Innovation, Saskatchewan Polytechnic |
| University of Regina Sustainability Website | University of Regina |
| University of Saskatchewan Community Engaged Learning Projects | University of Saskatchewan |
| Enhancing Healthcare Access in Saskatchewan: GIS Solutions | Vigitha Radhakrishnan |
| SustainaCuisina – Composting at Saskatchewan Polytechnic | Saskatchewan Polytechnic (Sustainability Led Integrated Centres of Excellence) |
| UN SDG Summit | Colleen Strauch, NVSSN – Luther College |
| “Paws in the Park” by Allie Combden | Allie Combden and Ryan Galbraith, Saskatchewan Polytechnic |
| Youth Action for UN Climate Conference (COP28) | Anna Gabriela Beltran Camacho, University of Regina |
| Dr. Garth Pickard Award for Post-Secondary Excellence in Education for Sustainable Development | |
| Embedding Sustainability in MBA 803: Business and Society | Brooke Klassen, Edwards School of Business, University of Saskatchewan |
Event Agenda
Wednesday, May 15, 2024, Gallagher Centre, Yorkton
| 8:30 a.m. | Registration Desk Opens/ Morning Snacks | |
| 9:30 a.m. | MCs Start Event: Dr. Roger Petry and Margret Asmuss | |
| 9:35 a.m. | Entrance of Vice-Regal Party | |
| 9:40 a.m. | Elder Ross Cadotte | |
| 9:50 a.m. | Address by His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan | |
| 9:55 a.m. | Greetings from His Worship Mitch Hippsley, Mayor of Yorkton | |
| 9:57 a.m. | Awards Ceremony | |
| 11:00 a.m. | Break | |
| 11:15 p.m. | Awards Ceremony Continues | |
| 1:00 p.m. | Lunch and Keynote Address: Kaitlyn Kitzan: Honoring Our Past, Celebrating Our Future. | |
| 1:45 p.m. | Tours of the Historic Yorkton Brick Mill. | |
For more information:
- RCE Event Organizer: Abraham Bugre, rcesk.event@gmail.com or (306) 209-7346
- RCE Saskatchewan: Dr. Roger Petry, roger.petry@uregina.ca;
- RCE Saskatchewan Background: www.saskrce.ca and What is RCE Saskatchewan Video
- Live Stream Event Contact: rcesk.event@gmail.com
- Event Co-host: Yorkton Brick Mill Heritage Society
- For media interviews with recipients and organizers: Jill Forrester, text (306) 537-1809.
Additional attendees from the public are welcome but must pre-register with the Event Coordinator at rcesk.event@gmail.com.