Wood WORKS! BC has announced the winners of the 2015 Community Recognition Awards, which are presented annually to local governments that have been exemplary advocates for wood. This may be demonstrated through the specification of wood in a community project or through visionary initiatives that work toward building a community culture of wood.

The 2015 recipients are:

AVICC — Association of Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities: Town of Qualicum Beach for the Qualicum Beach Fire Hall (MERIT: Vancouver Island Regional Library, representing 28 municipalities and 10 regional districts for libraries in City of Nanaimo and Town of Lake Cowichan)

AKBLG — Association of Kootenay Boundary Local Governments: Village of Kaslo for the 5th Street Unity Bridge (MERIT: City of Kimberley|Village of Midway)

NCLGA — North Central Local Government Association: District of Chetwynd for the Chetwynd Municipal Hall (under construction) (MERIT: Village of Burns Lake)

SILGA — Southern Interior Local Government Association: Columbia Shuswap Regional District for administrative and board offices in the City of Salmon Arm (MERIT: Village of Clinton|City of Armstrong)

LMLGA — Lower Mainland Local Government Association: Squamish – Lillooet Regional District and Resort Municipality of Whistler for the Garibaldi Fire Hall in the Town of Whistler (MERIT: City of Surrey|City of Port Moody)

“We congratulate these local governments for clearly demonstrating leadership and vision for their new community structures,” said Lynn Embury-Williams, executive director, Wood WORKS! BC. “We are very impressed with how wood was used in such a variety of projects and in so many B.C. communities, underlining the strong wood culture in our province.”