2024 Award Recipients
Lauréats de 2024
Interpretation Canada announced the 2024 Awards of Excellence winners in September 2025.
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 11 award winners.
Interpretation Canada congratulates its 2024 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 2024 en septembre 2025.
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 2024 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 |
FISH WISH YOU'D SWISH | GOLD |
Parks Canada, Banff National Park, Mountain WIT Steve Jarand, David Thomson, Phillip Nugent, Thomas Usher, Laurie Schwartz Nominee’s Project Description: Aquatic Invasive Species are like pirates trying to dominate the waters, but we can defeat them if we Clean, Drain, and Dry. Aquatic Invasive Species can be hard to see. They might stow away on our watercraft, floatie toys, waders - anything that we use in the water! In order to prevent the spread of these damaging invaders, we can clean, drain, and dry all equipment that is transferred from one water body to another. | Judge's comments: “Amazingly engaging - having a three person troop to feed off of for characters, energy and music is a perfect set-up to captivate the audience. Also amazing flow and transitions from one action to the next. Those in and out behind the partition moments with puppets, costume changes and character movement was smooth like butter. Great job you three!” |
BURROWED SECRETS: A BADGERS LAST STAND | GOLD |
Parks Canada, Kootenay National Park Emily Clark, Jessica Zimmerman, Alex Araujo Nominee’s Project Description: The theme of Burrowed Secrets: A Badger’s Last Stand centers on the conservation challenges faced by badgers, an endangered species in Kootenay National Park. Through an engaging film-noir mystery format, the program highlights road mortality as the greatest threat to badgers and explores how human activities like speeding and habitat loss contribute to their decline. Sub-themes include the impacts of climate change on wildlife food availability, habitat fragmentation caused by human development, and the importance of maintaining a safe distance with wildlife. The overarching message is that visitor actions can make a significant difference in protecting badgers and other species for future generations. |
Photo credit: Parks Canada Judge’s comment: “This is an exemplary theatrical show. My specialty is theatrical interpretation and I would use this as an example of a program that checks all the boxes for the genre. Great use of story, film, music, technology and audience engagement. I especially loved the film clips of Foxglove. Congratulations on a great program.” |
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TASTE-TEA K-COUNTRY | SILVER |
Alberta Parks, Kananaskis Country
Maxine Bennett Nominee’s Project Description: The relationships between nature, culture and wellness are revealed through stories and flavours of Kananaskis Country edible plants when brewed as tea. Taste-Tea K-Country aims to forge deeper connections between the plants of Kananaskis, the land they grow on and park visitors by engaging taste and smell, senses which we often do not get to fully explore when getting in touch with nature. | Judge’s Comments: “Seeing the audience come to life and share stories -- that's the mark of a job well done.” “How can I pick just one! Your skill at effortlessly creating a welcoming environment is what made this program so successful.” |
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THE DARK NIGHT | SILVER |
Alberta Parks, Dinosaur Provincial Park Laura Griffin Nominee’s Project Description: The Dark Night program is an amphitheater show designed to inspire a unique perspective on the mysterious and alluring dark night. Audiences join “The Dark Night” on a nocturnal adventure highlighting the ecological importance of darkness and how to combat threats to the nocturnal world. | Judge’s Comments: “Super fun program! The ecosystem demonstration was a meaningful way to show the impacts of light and I also really liked how prominent and clear your call to action was.” “The presenter's comedic timing and ability to improvise in response to audience.” |
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FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE MEADOW | BRONZE |
Alberta Parks, Miquelon Lake Provincial Park Brian Orr, Julie Korver, Lainey Smith, and Racquel Deveau 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. |
Photo credit: Alberta Parks. Click on image to watch video on YouTube. Judge’s Comment: “The performance by the interpreters was my favorite part. They really sold the references and made them work which takes skill and strong content. This must have been a labour of love for the interpretation team behind it and that comes through in the content they developed.” |
Non-personal Interpretation
Interprétation non-personnelle
FROM PATTERN TO PEOPLE | SILVER |
Shirin Divanbeigi, Anuradha Kumar, Mumtaz Ali, Hasina Henna, Bahar Keyhani, Madalina Raduta, Moojan Nazmi, Salima Habib, Eleonora Sermoneta, Rachel Pryce, Raghad Cararah, Dr. Michael Chagnon and Dr. Sascha Priewe Nominee’s Project Description: Mehndi, or henna, is a beautiful form of body art created using a paste made from the powdered leaves of the henna plant. This story invites you to explore the art of mehndi through Ishani's journey, where you can learn about its cultural significance and create your own mehndi designs inspired by the intricate patterns found in the Aga Khan Museum’s collection. |
Image credit: Aga Khan Museum. Click on image to go to virtual tour. Judge’s Comments: “I love that this product came out of a collaborative approach with community members in a consultation phase. Engaging with community is so key to creating relevant content that reflects the community and engage with new audiences.” “I like the colours, and the seek and find element, as well as the simplicity of this entry. And that there is/will be outreach programs developed and offered with this project.” |
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SCOWN GALLERY, SAM CENTRE | BRONZE |
Calgary Stampede Foundation, Calgary Stampede Christine Leppard Calgary Stampede Foundation and GSM Project Nominee’s Project Description: The Scown Gallery invites you to discover the Calgary Stampede in a whole new way. Featuring interactive exhibits, multimedia experiences, and rich archival material, this new permanent exhibition showcases the history, peoples, and cultures that have shaped The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth. As you make your way through the gallery on a self-guided tour, you’ll discover the Stampede’s greatest stories. Prepare to be delighted, awed, and inspired! |
Judge’s Comments: “Loved the Stampede Sensations video and the Pancake Breakfast video (designed to be displayed on top of a pancake cart).” “I loved the text! Very well written, and suitable for both the topic and for the intended audience.” |
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PARKS CANADA CLIMATE CREW – VIDEO SERIES | BRONZE |
Chris Driedzic, Martin Lajoie, and Julia Thomas Pivotal Pictures Karen Hawes and Kim Saltarski Nominee’s Project Description: It can feel like the climate is changing faster than we can react... but Parks Canada's Climate Crew is on it! Parks Canada and partners are conducting important research in protected areas that help our understanding of climate change impacts. Learn how a healthy environment is an important natural solution to climate change. This uplifting series of 5-minute videos will inspire hope and actions you can take to help. | Judge’s Comments: “This is an excellent production, using a good mix of video, interviews, animated elements and simple short text. The images are striking and well filmed. It is clear that this was a professional production.” “The positive, uplifting, diversity of stories featured across Canada shared by the people in those places.” |
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DISCOVERING KWÍLʼAḴM: LIFE AROUND NEXWLÉLEXWM/BOWEN ISLAND'S FAVOURITE SHORE | BRONZE |
Will Husby, Bob Turner, Len Gilday and Susan Munro Nominee’s Project Description: Although it is Bowen Island's busiest waterway, Kwílʼaḵm/Deep Bay is bursting with life that you can observe every time you are near its shores and waters. Discovering Kwílʼaḵm is a 50 page spiral bound book sold in book stores and shops on Bowen Island. |
Photo credits: Bowen Island Conservancy Judge’s Comments: “The sidebars. In a world that prefers short sound bites, I think they are super effective. Eye catching, easy to read, often accompanied by pictures.” “I liked how a lot of it is in the second-person voice: "You can see this, you can do that." It's personal and accessible.” |
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CONNECTED: A PARKS CANADA PODCAST | BRONZE |
Kelsey Robson, Jeff Bolingbroke, Jean-Sebastien Villeneuve and The LLYK Field Unit's External Relations and Resource Conservation teams Nominee’s Project Description: All animals and plants are protected inside the national parks, but some need extra help. Connected will introduce you to species at risk that are in danger of disappearing. From the charismatic grizzly bear to the hardy whitebark pine, we will explore why these species are in trouble and what we stand to lose. Each episode features a different animal or plant, and the Parks Canada specialists who work to protect them. Step into the park with us. Connect. | Judge’s Comments: “I liked how the 'ads' were actually just management messages / safety messages /promotions of programs for National Parks. Very clever! And I loved the passion and stories of personal experiences from the biologists/researchers. Made me want to become a biologist.” “The conversational tone and interview style make the podcast easy to listen to, allowed for a lot of content to be included without feeling like too much, and strengthened the call to action.” |
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SUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES BOARD GAME | BRONZE |
Mike Guthrie-Plouffe, Sean MacQueen, Kevin Farmer, Heidi Hoflin, Danielle Klatchuk, Lisa Brett Nominee’s Project Description: Sustainable Societies is a competitive or cooperative board game that challenges players to use Alberta’s natural resources to build and sustain a community. The most environmentally sustainable community wins! | Judge’s Comments: I LOVE the technique you used to explore this topic and that you are empowering the players to explore as a group with a myriad of outcomes. Though this removes the perceived control from a program perspective, it allows the users to deepen engagement and explore the topics that impact their game play at their pace, and is a unique form of non-personal interpretation. |
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Interpretation Canada c/o Kerry Wood Nature Centre 6300 45th Ave Red Deer, AB, Canada T4N 3M4
Interprétation Canada a/s du Kerry Wood Nature Centre, 6300 45e Avenue, Red Deer, Alberta T4N 3M4