The Government of Ontario is celebrating 15 outstanding individuals and four volunteer organizations with the 2025 June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award for Voluntarism. These organizations and individuals are being honoured for their exceptional contributions in their own communities and for the province as a whole.

Locally, outstanding volunteer awards in the Outstanding Volunteer Group Category go to the Windsor Essex Bike Community, Amherstburg. 

“Established in 2022, the Windsor Essex Bike Community (WEBC) has transformed Windsor-Essex County through volunteerism and grassroots leadership,” according to the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Multiculturalism.

“With over 5,000 volunteer hours and $150,000 raised, WEBC built an 8 km mountain bike trail and launched a youth program—enhancing recreation, boosting the local economy, and fostering a more connected, inclusive community.”

The June Callwood Award was established in 1994 by the Hospice Association of Ontario. In 2011, the Hospice Association of Ontario joined the Ontario Palliative Care Association, thus forming Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. The Award was created to honour outstanding hospice volunteers throughout Ontario.

Callwood was a hospice advocate, author and community activist. She was also a recipient of the Order of Canada in 1995.

“Her book, Twelve Weeks in Spring, captured the spirit of hospice and emphasized the importance of the many and varied contributions of a team of volunteers,” according to Hospice Palliative Care Ontario.

“In all her years as a journalist, author, broadcaster and humanitarian, June Callwood’s name became synonymous with integrity, talent, and passion for social justice. She has touched the lives of generations of Canadians by giving that passion expression through her words and through her work in the service of those in need.”

Click here for more information about all the outstanding volunteer award recipients.

~ Image: Government of Ontario