Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Order of Vaughan

Nominate a community leader

When you think of someone dedicated to bettering the community, who comes to mind? Perhaps it's someone who volunteers their time, champions important causes or inspires positive change. Does this remind you of a neighbour or a colleague? Nominate them for the City of Vaughan's 2026 Order of Vaughan!

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Order of Vaughan, recognizing individuals whose contributions have had a lasting impact on Vaughan's civic life. And in honour of this milestone, this year the City is introducing a new additional recognition, the Order of Vaughan Legacy Award -that will be conferred annually on one individual, posthumously, to ensure their lasting impact is meaningfully recognized.

Nominate someone deserving of these recognitions at vaughan.ca/OrderOfVaughan by Friday, Aug. 28!

What are the nomination requirements?

Order of Vaughan

To be eligible for the Order of Vaughan, a nominee must be a living person at the time of nomination and have dedicated their time, talent and resources to making a meaningful impact on the community. An individual does not need to reside in Vaughan to be eligible. Nominations will not be accepted for staff currently employed by the City of Vaughan or for current elected officials at the federal, provincial or municipal levels. Self-nominations will also not be accepted.

Order of Vaughan Legacy Award

To be eligible for the Order of Vaughan Legacy Award, a nominee must be deceased at the time of nomination. The impact of the nominee's contribution must be demonstrable, substantial and sustained over time. The nominee must have established or had long-term leadership of an organization, institution, program or initiative of enduring value to the city. They must have had a transformational impact on a sector of community life in Vaughan and demonstrated longstanding civic, cultural or philanthropic leadership that materially shaped the city's growth or identity.

Visit vaughan.ca/OrderOfVaughan to review the full eligibility criteria and application package.

These honours recognize leaders within the following categories: accessibility, athletics, arts and entertainment, business, education, environment, equity and diversity, health and wellness, media and communications, not-for-profit, philanthropy, public service, science and technology and spirituality.

How do I submit a nomination?

To nominate a deserving individual for the Order of Vaughan, you must complete a nomination form (PDF) and submit it with supporting documents that speak to the character and accomplishments of the nominee. You must also submit three reference letters describing the impact and achievements of the nominated individual. These letters should be from people with firsthand knowledge of the nominee's work and community impact.

To nominate someone for the Order of Vaughan Legacy Award, you must complete a nomination form and submit it with supporting documents that speak to the breadth and depth of the nominee's accomplishments. You must also provide a letter of support from a living relative of the nominee.

You are also encouraged to provide supporting materials that further illustrate the nominee's achievements and contributions. These documents can include news articles, reviews, writing samples, or examples of their work (such as excerpts from a book or academic paper, musical composition, painting, etc.). Please ensure you provide supporting material and not a link to a website or video.

Nomination forms and documents can be submitted by email to [email protected] or by mail to the Office of the City Clerk, Attention Order of Vaughan, 2141 Major Mackenzie Dr., Vaughan, ON L6A 1T1.

The nomination period closes Friday, Aug. 28. Once closed, the Order of Vaughan Selection Committee will review nominations and recommend candidates to Council for approval.

The Order of Vaughan was created in 2016 as part of the City's 25th anniversary celebrations to recognize individuals who have made meaningful contributions to Vaughan's civic life. Since its inception, 80 individuals have been invested in the Order of Vaughan.

Learn more at vaughan.ca/OrderOfVaughan.

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