CENTRE WELLINGTON – We have a winner. Centre Wellington has been named the Municipality of the Year by Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO).
The award strives to encourage, support and recognize positive local environments for festivals and events across the province.
“The township’s commitment to support numerous festivals and events has undoubtedly been instrumental in ensuring their success,” said Festival and Events Ontario Awards Committee chair Christine Morgan.
Centre Wellington won in the less than 50,000 population category.
Other municipal winners include the Town of Aurora and the City of Richmond Hill.
“This is a very prestigious and deserving award for our staff, and our community” said Mayor Kelly Linton.
“Our staff encompass the ability to host and assist world class events and festivals. They work tirelessly to put Centre Wellington on the map and provide a rich quality of life for our residents. I could not be prouder to live in such an amazing community!”
To top off the excitement, Centre Wellington’s tourism and destination coordinator, Deb Dalziel, was inducted to the FEO Hall of Fame.
Since 2000, FEO has inducted 43 people into its Hall of Fame representing festivals, municipalities, organizations and events from across the province. Each individual named to the FEO Hall of Fame is someone who has dedicated their career to the festival and event industry and who has made a lasting contribution to their community, festival, event or organization.
“This is a delightful collision of all my worlds,” said Dalziel.
“My festival and event family, my township family, and my real family are all here with me this evening. I learned at a very young age that I never wanted to watch a parade, I wanted to be in it, or be behind it in some sort of fashion. Thank you to everyone in this room, there is so much energy and passion from those in the festival and event business. To my township family, there is so much amazing support and a fostering nature that comes from our community. I consider it an absolute privilege to live, work and play in this amazing backdrop we live in.”
FEO also recognized elements of festivals or events that stood out in the previous festival year.
Hillside Festival, held at Guelph Lake every year, was recognized for Best Greening of a Festival or Event in the $500,000 or more category.
Other categories include best new festival or event, best promotional campaign, sponsor of the year, best community partner outreach program, best social media campaign, best youth initiative, best volunteer program, and best new single sponsorship opportunity.
The municipality and achievement awards were handed out on Feb. 27 at the FEO’s annual conference.
