HONOURS AND AWARDS
The Town of Perth has many attributes and qualities that make it a great place to live, work and play. Others agree! We've developed this page to showcase our many awards and honours that celebrate our successes.
Communities in Bloom
In 2001 the Town of Perth received a rating of 4 Blooms in the Ontario Provincial Edition of Communities in Bloom in the area of Outstanding Achievement in Tidiness Effort. The award was very much deserved. Each year, the Town of Perth Community Services Department, in conjunction with the Downtown Heritage Perth BIA, undertakes the planning and implementation of street beautification in the Business Improvement Area of downtown Perth. This seemingly daunting task is easy in Perth. We have a vibrant downtown which showcases a streetscape of beautiful heritage architecture – the perfect backdrop for the many floral arrangements which are placed on the street from spring until fall.
Our Community Services and Environmental Services staff work diligently to ensure that garbage is collected and the streets and sidewalks are swept and kept clean on a continual basis. Our Parks staff also ensure that the floral units are naturally weed-free and our streets, parking lots and parks are pristine at all times.
All of this effort and coordination makes for a downtown core that is the envy of all others. Our shop keepers, through the BIA, also take pride in the beautiful settings and do their part to keep storefronts attractive with heritage appeal by placing season decorations an storefronts and in windows.
The Communities in Bloom award is on permanent display in the Town Hall.
Economic Developers Association of Canada - 2005 Marketing Awards
On
The Town’s website, created with a view to providing basic information for taxpayers, has undergone many changes since its creation in 2000. The site was completely revamped in 2004 and is now an important tool in attracting new business and development, encouraging and promoting area events and keeping residents and visitors informed of the “business life” in Perth, Ontario, CANADA.
The Perth Live Map is what makes the site leading edge. Here, the user has access to a virtual map of the Town of
A special layer on the map shows
The Marketing Canada Award is located in the Community Services Office at Town Hall.
Prettiest Town in Ontario
On June 6, 2000 the verdict was in –
Nominations came from several
And who wouldn’t agree?
Stewart Park was highlighted in the TVO feature; it was deeded to the Town of
Downtown shop keepers are to be commended as well; their efforts in creating beautiful window displays and adding to the already abundant floral units should not go unmentioned.
The Perth BIA also undertakes seasonal beautification promotions, such as the downtown Christmas tree lighting, cedar garland on storefronts, fall and spring initiatives and sidewalk sales and specials during special events.
All Town of
More than what’s on the surface, the spirit of Perthites contribute to the beauty of our small town.
The TVO award is on permanent display in the main foyer of Town Hall.
Prince of Wales Prize
In September 2004, Perth Mayor Dennis Cordick attended the Annual General Meeting of Heritage
The Prize is awarded by the Heritage Canada Foundation annually to a deserving community showing outstanding stewardship of built heritage.
The Heritage Canada Foundation award jury cited the presence of
The Prince of Wales Prize, established in 1999, honours municipal governments for commitment to the preservation of heritage buildings. Previous recipients include
The Town received a plaque, framed scroll and a pennant with the insignia of the Prince of Wales and Heritage Canada Foundation. The award was presented at the awards ceremony
Stewart Park – One of the Seven Wonders of Lanark County
On December 16, 2008 at the inaugural meeting of Lanark County Council, the Seven Wonders of Lanark County were revealed. After making the nomination earlier in 2008, the Town of Perth received the honour for Stewart Park, a 5+ acre parkland considered to be the jewel of the town.
Residents of Perth have been enjoying the atmosphere of Stewart Park since the late Jessie Mabel Stewart began designing and maintaining the area, which is located behind Perth’s Town Hall.
Mrs. Stewart deeded the parkland to the Town of Perth in 1947, in memory of her late husband, the Honourable John Alexander Stewart. Throughout his career, Mr. Stewart was president of the Henry K. Wampole Co. Ltd., the Andrew Jergens Co. Ltd., and Perth Shoe Co. Ltd. He served on Town Council from 1900-1904. He was elected to the House of Commons in 1918 where he served as Minister of Railways in the Meighen administration. He passed away in 1922.
The park is home to majestic maples, rock wall gardens that come alive with summer blooms, and the serene and historic Tay River. The park is also the breeding ground of the famous Stewart Park Music Festival, held each July, attracting 20,000+ people to Perth’s downtown core for a free, three-day music festival under the trees. The traditional 19th century Bandshell and the beautiful Millennium Gates add to the park’s welcoming atmosphere.
2008 County Warden Bob Fletcher admitted, “It was not easy for the committee to narrow it down to just seven… We have been working on this throughout my term as Warden and it has been an exciting and fun project. Congratulations to our Seven Wonders and to all the nominees. This certainly shows that Lanark County is truly an outstanding place.”
After 83 years, Stewart Park is still a natural beauty!
Town of Perth Receives Lieutenant Governor’s Award
On February 20, 2009 in Toronto, Mayor John Fenik was pleased to accept the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Community Leadership, on behalf of the Town of Perth. This inaugural honour, which was awarded by Ontario Lieutenant Governor David C. Onley, recognizes communities that have shown exemplary leadership in heritage conservation and promotion.
The application was written in the fall of 2008. This prestigious award recognizes both the work done in the past to conserve the town’s heritage as well as the town’s policies and community attitudes towards heritage…..it’s quite an honour for Perth to be recognized in the first year of this award.
The Lieutenant Governor’s Award is the provincial equivalent of the Prince of Wales Prize, which the Heritage Canada Foundation awarded Perth in 2004.
Some of the criteria the award committee examined included the presence of a town heritage committee, research initiatives, tax incentives for preserving heritage buildings, heritage-friendly bylaws and policies, stewardship programs such as Perth’s Main Street Program and the number of historic sites. One aspect of particular interest is Perth’s “adaptive re-use” of historic buildings, such as housing Town Hall in a historic building while maintaining its original character.
Perth has been described as “….a terrific setting…the buildings are really substantial stone buildings of terrific age, which you see in larger communities, but rarely in a small town in Ontario like Perth. That is unique.”
It’s true – everywhere you look in Perth you can see a connection to the past. When you walk into Perth you can feel the warmth and the sense of place….Perth has a story, and we’re part of that story; we’re the stewards of it.
