Inducted in 2022

Christine started her career in Richmond Hill in the early 90’s as the Wave Pool Supervisor.  Later she transitioned into an Event Supervisor role before becoming the Manager of Event Services. Her tenure with the city spans decades and her achievements over those years of dedicated service are to be celebrated.

Her leadership was instrumental in guiding her team to plan and deliver cherished City-led festivals and events like none other in York Region. Her hard-work and passion brought festival and event experiences to thousands of residents in Richmond Hill. Some of these included the Volunteer Achievement Awards, Canada Day Celebrations, Concerts in the Park, Ribfest, the Santa Claus Parade, and others including City anniversary celebrations, park openings, Olympic/Pan Am Games torch relays, SESQUI and more.

Christine has served her industry as well over the years, as a Board Member and past Awards Chair for Festivals and Events Ontario. She is well respected amongst her peers, but also the industry she so humbly served for all these years.

Inducted in 2022

With the many high-profile events and programs that Lori had to manage each year, volunteers were a key component to her success.  Typically, Lori would have to recruit and manage roughly 200 to 300 volunteers annually.  This included community volunteers and also internal and external organizational resources.  Successful in this process, Lori had a knack for volunteer retention due to her outgoing personality and sincere attribute towards people’s needs and values.  Nothing was ever small or little in Lori’s eyes, which volunteers appreciated.  Not only did Lori excel in this area, Lori was an avid volunteer for other organizations who sought her out for her ability to work in high pressure situations and experience with large public events and programs. Lori would volunteer to consult with many groups delivering other community events on a constant basis.

The City of Niagara Falls has benefitted for many years due to Lori’s persistent efforts in striving to make each event and program bigger and better annually. Through Lori’s leadership, new events and programs were developed and continue to thrive.  Dozens of charities have benefitted through Lori’s activities by incorporating these charities into the framework of her events and programs.  Smart businesses along the downtown core and other areas throughout the city have also benefitted through partnerships due to these same events and programs.  The enhancement of civic pride is the direct result from these activities that have been delivered to the community.  Fellow colleagues have had the benefit of learning from Lori’s work ethic and development models of events and programs.

Inducted in 2022

The festival celebrated its 25th Anniversary in September 2021 and Raya has been a staple of this Festival since inception.

Raya was the very first Executive Director of this Festival and has mentored 3 other Festival Directors in the past 25 years.

Raya has a wealth of knowledge with the festival and is always happy, willing and able to help whenever she is called upon.

Over the years, she has come to know many of the vendors, volunteers, supporters and staff and has always been a huge support to any one of them.

Raya was also the Executive Director of the Mississauga Ukrainian Festival for 5 years.

Raya has given up so much of her personal time and energy over the past 25 years for this Festival and has helped it grow from a Festival of approximately 500 attendees to an attendance of approximately 700,00 people.

Inducted in 2022

Through her role as Executive Director for the past 30 years, she has been the key planner and organizer of Carrousel of the Nations for three decades. Prior to her position with the MCC, Kathie was a cultural dancer and organizer for one of the Villages!

No one has contributed more to this festival than Kathleen.  She has secured sponsors, partners and funders ensuring that the tradition of Carrousel has continued for 46 years – even during the pandemic! 

She personally created and fostered the important village partnerships who are responsible for the sharing and celebrating of culture.  She created the spin-off festival Carrousel by the River, which for many years brought multiple villages to one location for a weekend event, in advance of Carrousel around the city.  She expanded the festival to Leamington for Carrousel on the 42, and she led Carrousel@Home – a hybrid event during the pandemic. 

Kathleen has also created countless ‘mini’ Carrousels for city hosted events of the years- including the FINA World Swimming Championships, International Children’s Games and the Organization of American States conferences – all held in Windsor.