Nominations are now open for the Waterloo Regional Heritage Foundation’s awards. Each year, the Foundation presents awards in five categories to recognize outstanding contributions to heritage preservation in the Waterloo Region:

• Awards of Excellence are intended to recognise outstanding contributions by individuals, institutions and organizations to heritage preservation in Waterloo Region, in such areas as archaeology, archives, culture, education, genealogy, history, literature, media, natural history and others.
• Sally Thorsen Award of Excellence was created in honour of the former Commissioner of Planning and Culture for the Region of Waterloo and is presented to only one person in a year who has demonstrated, in the course of at least ten years of their professional lives, an outstanding level of commitment to heritage concerns in the Region of Waterloo.
• Dr. Jean Steckle Award for excellence in heritage education is presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership in heritage education through teaching, writing, or by example, and who has encouraged and mentored others in the understanding and appreciation of the natural or cultural heritage of Waterloo Region.
• Heritage Research Award makes available research grants to university students who are undertaking graduate research projects related to the heritage of Waterloo Region. The aim of the award is to encourage research at an advanced level into one or more aspects of the heritage of the Regional Municipality of Waterloo.
• History Prize is awarded to a piece of work published within the previous 5 years which has helped to educate and promote the heritage of the Waterloo Region through the published work.

Visit the Foundation’s website here for more information about each award, eligibility requirements, and previous award winners. Nominations can be submitted through the Heritage Foundation’s website here or by contacting wrhf@regionofwaterloo.ca. Nominations will be accepted from November 17, 2025 to February 27, 2026. The Awards Ceremony will be held on May 12, 2026. If you require any assistance, please contact wrhf@regionofwaterloo.ca.