HONOURS / AWARDS

Lieutenant Governor’s Award
for Historical Preservation and Promotion

NOMINATION DEADLINE:

FRIDAY, 1 MARCH 2024

If there is a person in your community with a long record of service in the preservation and promotion of local history and heritage, nominate them for a Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Historical Preservation and Promotion, initiated in 2011, is presented in consultation with the Manitoba Historical Society to people who have rendered prolonged, meritorious service in the preservation and promotion of Manitoba’s history and heritage. Awards are presented annually in a ceremony at Government House around Manitoba Day in May.

A complete nomination consists of:

  1. a nomination form listing the nominee, reasons for the nomination, and the name and contact information of the person making the nomination,
  2. three letters of support for the nomination from persons and/or organizations who can speak to the qualifications of the nominee and their suitability for the award, and
  3. any supporting documents.

Supporting documents for a nomination may include one or more of the following:

  • detailed descriptions of the type of work undertaken by the nominee that qualifies them for the award
  • lists of previous awards, medals, certificates, and honours

Supporting documents are not required to be included with the nomination but they are highly desirable, as they assist the selection committee in giving nominations a thorough evaluation, especially when the number of nominations exceed the number of awards that can be conferred in a given year.

The Manitoba Historical Society reserves the right to contact the nominator and/or supporting persons or organizations for further information regarding the nomination, as warranted.

Nominations are generally made by a person who is unrelated to the nominee. In cases where a nomination is made by an organization, the name and address for a contact person at that organization must be stated on the nomination form.

Completed nominations should be submitted by email (webmaster@mhs.mb.ca), postal mail, or hand delivery to the office of the Manitoba Historical Society. All nomination forms and supporting documents must be received on or before the nomination deadline to be considered in that calendar year. Otherwise, they will be retained for consideration in the next calendar year.

Those submitting nominations will be contacted to confirm its receipt, usually within five business days of the receipt of the nomination by the Manitoba Historical Society. If you have submitted a nomination but have not received confirmation, please contact the MHS at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca.

We request that you not inform the nominee of his or her nomination. All submitted information is confidential and exlusively for use of the Manitoba Historical Society.

QUESTIONS?

Send all inquiries regarding nominations to the Manitoba Historical Society at webmaster@mhs.mb.ca. Please do NOT contact the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba regarding nominations.

FAQs

Award recipients may be of any age or citizenship. Nominations are accepted only for individual persons, not for groups of people or organizations.

Some of the activities for which awards may be presented:

  • Historical publications and documents
  • Stewardship of museums, archives or other resources
  • Public education, advocacy, and awareness
  • Committee or community service
  • Preservation of historic sites / buildings
  • Art and media

It is assumed that award recipients will have a sustained record of activity in Manitoba over a period of years but there is no single criterion that will apply in all cases.

Awards are made in recognition of exemplary service in the promotion and/or preservation of Manitoba’s history. Although it is recognized that nominees are often active in other facets of community service too, these other services are not generally considered when nominations are evaluated.

Awards will not be conferred posthumously although they may be given if a selected recipient passes away before the award ceremony.

Nominations of paid professionals in the field of history and heritage (for example, academic historians and civil servants) will not be considered.

Members of the Manitoba Historical Society executive committee and council are not eligible for nomination during their term in office.

The number of awards each year is limited, and not everyone nominated will receive an award. Those not selected in a year may be retained for consideration in the subsequent year, at the discretion of the Manitoba Historical Society.

Recipients may only hold the award once. A list of past recipients can be found here.

Nominations can be made at any time although selection of recipients will occur once a year in time for presentation at a ceremony near Manitoba Day in May. Nominations must be received by the nomination deadline in a given year to be considered for award presentation in that year.

The Manitoba Historical Society examines all nominations and recommends candidates to the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. All submitted nominations are evaluated by a committee of the Manitoba Historical Society. There is no geographic, ethnic, or gender basis for the selection of nominations. Merit is the only criterion.

All award recipients receive a framed certificate from the Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba and a one-year membership in the Manitoba Historical Society. They are honoured at a presentation ceremony at Government House, as near as possible to Manitoba Day in May.

Up to five recipients of the award are presented each year. As of 2023, two awards are reserved for emerging historians (mid 30s or younger).

Past recipients of the award are listed here.

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