2025 Award Recipients
Lauréats de 2025
Interpretation Canada announced the 2025 Awards of Excellence winners in September 2026.
The Awards of Excellence provide an opportunity to recognize professionalism and creativity from coast to coast to coast. Entries covered a wide range of topics and media, resulting in 15 award recipients.
Interpretation Canada congratulates its 2025 recipients and encourages everyone to learn more about these exciting projects.
All winning projects are featured in the language in which they were submitted.
Interprétation Canada a fait l’annonce des lauréats des Prix d’excellence de 2025 en septembre 2026.
Les Prix d’excellence offrent une occasion de saluer le professionnalisme et la créativité de partout au pays. Onze lauréats ont émergé des candidatures, qui représentaient une vaste gamme de sujets et de médiums.
Interprétation Canada félicite ses lauréats de 2025 et invite toute personne intéressée à s’informer sur leurs réalisations exceptionnelles.
Toutes les réalisations gagnantes sont présentées dans la langue où elles ont été soumises.
Personal InterpretationInterprétation personnelle |
PARK AFTER DARK | GOLD |
Alberta Parks, SW Management Area Sydney Born and Bryna Cline Nominee’s Project Description: Who’s up when the sun goes down... and what are they up to on their night shift? Stay up late to uncover the secret lives of nocturnal animals through an interactive light-and-shadow show that brings nighttime wildlife out of the darkness and into view. Following the show, participants join an Alberta Parks Interpreter for a guided night walk, where the park comes alive through a symphony of sounds, stories, and shared discovery. Inspired by the night sky above and the life moving quietly around us, the experience blends science, storytelling, Indigenous knowledge, and sensory exploration. Along the way, participants are invited to reflect on their relationship with darkness, both in the park and beyond. | Judges' comments: “A wonderful program that does a wonderful job...as well as engaging people in nocternal life.” "Thanks for bringing the night sky to life with this engaging program!" |
KINGDOM OF THE CRETACEOUS | GOLD |
Alberta Parks, Dinosaur Provincial Park Laura Griffin and Dustin Riley Nominee’s Project Description: Hear Ye fayre travelers, rest your weary feet and join us for a tale of PROPHECY and DESTINY in the quest to secure the bone in the stone. Another exciting season of theatre came to Dinosaur Provincial Park, as Arfur the coyote embarked on an epic journey to understand the truth of what it means to be a Knight of the Cretaceous Kingdom and a protector of the badlands realm. | Judge’s comment: “The interpreter maintains strong, sustained energy throughout the program and skillfully guides the audience toward the central theme and an effective call to action. The sing-along used to deliver the call to action is particularly powerful, both joyful and memorable, and is likely to stay with participating families long after the program concludes.” |
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FLAVOURS OF THE FOREST | GOLD |
Alberta Parks, SW Management Area Bryna Cline and Rachel Van Bussel Nominee’s Project Description: Savour the flavours of the forest in this sensory-rich, adults-only foraging adventure in partnership with Pincher Creek's Lost Things Distillery! With an Alberta Parks Interpreter as your guide, step into the forest of Piney Point trail / Beaver Mines Interpretive Trail and awaken your senses as you forage fresh botanicals straight from nature’s pantry. Along the way, learn how to identify edible plants, discover the art of gin-making, and get tips on foraging sustainably. Then, craft your very own gin infusion by steeping your hand-picked botanical tea bag into a premium vodka-based product from Lost Things Distillery. |
Photo: Alberta Parks Judges' comment: "I really love how this program allows for its participants to take part in the creation of a thing that they would normally be a consumer of. Building a personal relationship with not only the product itself but the world around them." |
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THE AIRS TOUR | SILVER |
Parks Canada, LLYK Field Unit, Lake Louise Amber deKam, Julie Ostrem, Emily Clark, Lana Dauphinee Nominee’s Project Description: Fresh off an Airs Tour performance in Brazil, a young Black Swift, Taylor Swift searches for the perfect venue to play a hometown show in Kootenay National Park. She needs a cool, misty cliff with privacy and plenty of aerial insects. As she navigates through Kootenay National Park, she visits popular day use areas and encounters challenges and barriers to playing a show there (impacts of climate change, lack of food, human disturbance). The fellow species at risk celebrities she meets along the way encourage her to persevere, and eventually she finds the perfect place for a show. Intimidated by the crowds of people, her fans (visitors) demonstrate their support and commitment to protecting Black Swifts, encouraging her to stay in Marble Canyon. She plays her hometown show, deciding to stay forever in Marble Canyon. |
Photo: Parks Canada Judges’ Comments: “I really like how interactive the program is throughout and honestly how fun everything is. The program is light while keeping its message.” “The presenters seemed to enjoy doing the show and were clearly having fun doing it. The end of the show, the last concert, was the best energy of the whole show.” |
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WEATHER THE STORM | SILVER |
Alberta Parks, Kananaskis Country Andy Weir and Austin Schelstraete Nominee’s Project Description: "When it comes to weather, the sun is calling the shots. Come see what happens when the sun gets angry at a hiker who relies on ‘Gooble’ for updates on the weather. Join Park Interpreters for this 1hr long theatrical presentation all about weather! Weather the Storm is a two-person outdoor theatrical amphitheatre program that was presented in Kananaskis in 2025. It was a free program, and open to the general public. Scripts are available for the hard of hearing to follow along. The program was also designed with the intent of being adapted to travel into schools during the 2025/26 winter, as weather is a component of the Grade 5 Alberta science curriculum. | Judges’ Comments: “I really enjoyed they way you explained the many complex concepts throughout this program. You skillfully broke down the concepts into manageable pieces, related it to something they were familiar with, summarized the information, and used repetition to highlight the most important points.” “The humour and diversity of the characters/delivery techniques was extremely impressive and enjoyable to watch.” |
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CATCH 222 | SILVER |
Parks Canada, Jasper National Park Valentin Amey, Jack Bentley and Thayne Harden Nominee’s Project Description: In the summer of 2023, a grizzly bear and her cub ransacked a picnic in Jasper National Park. “Catch 222” uncovers the true story of failed co-existence, capture, relocation and survival. This educational story teaches visitors through games, sketches and storytelling how to keep themselves and bears safe in Jasper National park. Grizzly bears and humans share the same wild backyard. By understanding their world, we can keep them wild and keep ourselves safe. | Judges' comments: "This program is designed with a structural brilliance that allows any interpreter to deliver it with confidence, while providing the theatrical depth and emotional resonance required to leave a lasting impact on a diverse audience." "I love the idea of this program the most, connecting gin to parks is such a creative way to encourage people to see the world around them in a new way. And pair that with the way you seamlessly wove in ecology and conservation, this is an incredible interpretive program." |
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BIRDS EYE VIEW | SILVER |
Parks Canada, Jasper National Park Jade Janzen and Amber Cleary Nominee’s Project Description: Small actions, when taken by many, have large impacts on bird populations in the Rocky Mountains. “Birds Eye View” is an amphitheater program which showcases the importance of protecting species at risk birds in Jasper National Park. Two scientists travel across Jasper to teach the audience about the 5 at-risk aerial insectivores that call Jasper home and what people can do to protect their populations! | Judges' comments: "I enjoyed the songs throughout (they acted as good 'zaps'), and I liked the consistent and clear them. It was simple and focused so the information in the show could be really specific to that one theme." "I really liked the engagement and the way the animals were anthropomorphized. It kept the programming light and engaging allowing for a lot of information to be conveyed without wasting the participants time or droning on." |
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WILDLIFE SAFETY | BRONZE |
BC Parks Foundation, Golden Ears Provincial Park Beatrice Mowat, Emily Wezeman Nominee’s Project Description: Once upon a time, there lived a Coyote. Coyote was a good dog. Or, maybe they were a bad dog? After a run-in with a human, Coyote set out to create an evil squad of “problem animals” to help them get revenge. In this story we will tell a wild tale of conflict, coexistence, and dancing! Whether you’re brave like a wolf, grouchy like a goose, busy like a beaver, or even a regular human, this story is for you. | Judges' Comment: “The bear attractant game provided a clear and engaging interaction that the whole audience would want to participate in.” "Great use of story to bring the audience on a journey." |
Non-personal Interpretation
Interprétation non-personnelle
YOUR ALBERTA LEGISLATURE | SILVER |
Legislative Assembly of Alberta Marlee Yule, William Mitchell, Erin Camponi, Boyd Webber, Cedric Reimer, Elen Beattie, Teaghan Haysom, Claire Kosowan, Michael Peters, Michael Taves, Anika Stork, Serena Zimmer, Elizabeth Chaves, Katelyn Arthurs, Rhonda Sorensen, Christina Steenbergen, Philip Massolin, Rachel McGraw, Janice Connor Nominee’s Project Description: Every place has a story. For thousands of years, people have gathered where the Alberta Legislature now stands to meet, trade, live, and be. Journey back in time to its formation over 12,000 years ago to explore the transformation from Glacial Lake Edmonton to what we know today, and everything in between. This brand-new exhibit examines how Alberta’s people and their Legislature have grown and changed together, as well as the formation of our province, our government, and our centre of democracy. Discover intriguing details about Alberta’s first day as a province, our connection to the Minnesota State Capitol, the smudging of the Mace, parliamentary traditions, the Palm Room and so much more. |
Judge’s Comment: “I actually really like the kids touch table in the middle and choice of props.” |
Image credit: Alberta Legislature
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PJILA'SI | SILVER |
Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History Laura Bennett, Jeff Gray, Christine Sykora, Sean Wesloh McKeane, Kayla Rudderham, Katie Cottreau Robbins, Mary MacDonald, Ian Loughead, Corey Mullins, Dr. Roger Lewis, Ron Knockwood, Pamela Glode-Desrochers, Matt Meuse-Dallien, Ursula Johnson, Jordan Bennett, Raymond Sewell, Panther Creative, and IX Labs Nominee's Project Description: Pjila'si, meaning "welcome" in Mi'kmaw, is not just a gallery. It's an interactive space that celebrates Mi'kmaw culture. It brings to life the knowledge, skills, and adaptability of the Mi'kmaw people throughout history and to this day. It's a place to engage, learn, and reflect. | Judges' comments: "The community led creation of this exhibit, decolonization in a traditionally colonial setting and the work behind the scenes to move this project forward in a good way – well delivering a high quality interpretive product and community space." "Learning the language!" |
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PETROFORMS OF MANITOU AHBEE | SILVER |
Manitoba Parks, Whiteshell Provincial Park
Sloan Cathcart and Tom Powell Design Nominee's Project Description: The Petroforms of Manito Ahbee exhibit is a centerpiece of the newly redeveloped Whiteshell Natural History Museum at Nutimik Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park. A former log cabin has been replaced with a modern outdoor plaza, where the original stone fireplace now serves as a gathering point within the open, welcoming space that blends culture and landscape. The exhibit is housed in a three-sided, open-air shelter that invites visitors to wander in freely, day or night, even without staff present. This design removes barriers, creating a space where learning flows naturally and visitors can pause, reflect, and connect with the teachings of the petroforms at their own pace. It’s an experience that blends the museum with the park, ensuring that the stories written in stone remain accessible to everyone who seeks them. |
Photo: Manitoba Parks Judge's comment: "Overall the content inspires emotional connections to the petroforms that would not have been possible without the panels’ explanations of their deep meaning. I can image that visiting with no information would leave visitors underwhelmed, with many questions, and with little connection to the petroforms. However, if they have read the panels before visiting, they will be inspired to spend more time looking at the petroforms, imagine the people who made them, and feel reverence at their cultural importance. Ultimately, the panels have a clear call to action to go visit the petroforms respectfully." |
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FOLK IMAGINARIES | SILVER |
Natalka Chomiak, Alexandra Shkandrij, Rachel Ormshaw, Jen Budney, Lindsey Rewuski, Victoria Pomerleau, and Clint Neufeld Nominee’s Project Description: For centuries, Ukrainian clothing has blended the practical and the beautiful, the local, and the far-flung. Folk Imaginaries brings together never-before-exhibited treasures from the Museum’s collection with exceptional loans from private collectors and Canadian museums, alongside Ukrainian-inspired designs by Alexander McQueen, Sybil Connolly, Lanvin, Dior, Valentino, and others. Home to more than 12,000 Ukrainian and Ukrainian Canadian textiles, the Ukrainian Museum of Canada offers a stunning backdrop for this major exhibition. |
Photo: Ukranian Museum of Canada Judges’ Comments: “[I enjoyed] the diversity of clothing...it had something for everyone to relate to. Women, men, youth, Ukranians, non-Ukranians. ” “I really enjoyed how the exhibit was presented from a distance. The impact of the pattern wall, large blocks of colour, and painted patterns are extremely eye catching and beautifully reflect the details of the clothing displayed.” |
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LET'S GROW | BRONZE |
Giuliana Taccone and Ali Crone Nominee’s Project Description: The guest receives a Let's Grow kit that includes: - Let's Grow Nature Field Guide is a guided activity book that is tear-proof and water-proof. This activity book includes history, fun facts, challenges, and lessons on outdoor tools such as a compass or magnifying glass. |
Photo: Pickering Museum Village Judge's Comment: “It is clear that you put a tremendous amount of heart and research into this project. You have successfully moved beyond the 'static museum' model to create something truly experiential.” |
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IN THEIR MEMORY | BRONZE |
Aurora Museum & Archives, King Heritage & Cultural Centre, Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum & Community Centre Nominee’s Project Description: This exhibition commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Aurora-Whitchurch-King War Memorial (now known as the Aurora War Memorial), a powerful symbol of shared remembrance and community collaboration. Erected in 1925, the memorial stands as a tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the First World War. Through archival materials, photographs, and powerful quotes, this exhibition explores how the communities of Aurora, King, and Whitchurch-Stouffville came together to memorialize the fallen and how the memorial has shaped public memory over time. It also reflects on the evolving role of remembrance in our public spaces and the importance of preserving these legacies for future generations. |
Photo credits: Aurora Museum and Archives Judge's Comment: “The thing I liked the most was that the panels effectively gave the cenotaph personal meaning. The stories that the panels brought to light and the archival images used to tell the story of why and how the cenotaph was built and how important it has been to community members were well-research and presented. It is easy enough to walk right by these sorts of memorials. Now, community members will feel more attached to this cenotaph, meaning that it will continue to be a centrepiece of community involvement and memorialising for years to come (thanks to interpretation!)." |
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LAC LA BICHE EXPLORERS | BRONZE |
Lakeland Interpretive Society / Lac La Biche Museum Tara Jacklin, Artemii Plekhanov, and Jennifer Mueller Nominee’s Project Description: Lac La Biche Museum partnered with local artists, organizations, and community members to share the region’s cultural diversity, highlighting the interconnectedness of art and culture, as well as food and culture. Art pieces were displayed throughout the museum. Event participants received an ArtWalk map to guide them through the museum. Each artwork station included information about the artist and their artwork, and how their piece(s) reflected their culture/cultural identity. Inspired by these artworks, attendees then created their own paintings to express what their culture or cultural identity meant to them. The painting program was followed by a cultural potluck, where attendees sampled dishes from several cultures represented by residents of the Lac La Biche region (Métis, Ukrainian, French, Russian, Filipino, Nigerian, Chinese, and Norwegian). |
Photo: Lac La Biche Museum Judge’s Comments: “Using the hooks of art and food that everyone can relate to to engage visitors in discussions, activities and experiences. Also, it’s nice to see a museum genuinely be a community space.” “What I like the most was the cultural painting activity because it provided a connection between the art exhibit and children's own experiences, and provided youth with a sensory, hands-on activity to support them in engaging with the content.” |
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