Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Early Childhood Education —
2012 Recipients List

2012 Recipients List

Province/ Territory	Setting community	Educator community	Name of setting	Name of educator	Type of setting	Highlights
Alberta Certificate of Excellence	Drayton Valley	Drayton Valley	Drayton Valley Early Childhood Development Centre	Bernice Taylor	Childcare centre for children ages 13 months to 9 years	Educator mobilizes myriad of local resources to build a magical Eco-Park for all to enjoy.
Alberta Certificate of Excellence	Edmonton	Edmonton	Genesis Early Learning Centre	Corine Gannon	100 Voices Preschool Outreach Program for children ages 2.5 to 6 years	It's all about the environment: educator maintains carefully manicured classrooms that are cozy, stimulating and intentionally designed to look like an extension of home.
British Columbia Certificate of Excellence	Burnaby	Port Moody	Simon Fraser University Childcare Society	Pat Frouws	Childcare centre for children ages 3 months to 13 years	A living building for living people: educator seizes opportunity to design a new facility, inspires and guides funders to build a place that every child deserves.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Comox	Comox	Tigger Too Preschool – Comox Valley Children's Daycare Society	Charlene Gray	Preschool for children ages 30 months to 5 years	Tireless advocate for children everywhere believes in a world where children should be seen and heard.
British Columbia Certificate of Excellence	Coquitlam	Coquitlam	Childgarden Preschool	Susan Woodward	Preschool for children ages 3 to 5 years	A daycare fairy tale: educator and children discover enchanted forests, magical creeks and mystical little creatures, which become the stepping stones to learning about the world that surrounds them.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Golden	Golden	Little Chimps Preschool / Golden StrongStart	Shelley Zajsek	Licensed Preschool and StrongStart BC Program	Intuitive, creative and patient, educator knows exactly when to tease and joke, and when to offer a hug.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Langley	Langley	Douglas Park Community Preschool and Childcare	Dawn Adamson	Preschool for children ages 3 to 5 years	Nature lover follows dream and provides outdoors-based inclusive program where children can learn and explore at their own speed.
British Columbia Certificate of Excellence	Port Hardy	Coal Harbour	Stepping Stones Childcare Centre	Jan Prowse	Childcare centre for children up to the age of 12	Like a little elf with a heart of gold, educator works tirelessly behind the scenes, quietly doing good deeds, building playhouses, making healthy food, or distributing clothes.
British Columbia Certificate of Excellence	Surrey	Surrey	A Place to Grow Childcare Centre	Danielle Denise Jimeno	Group childcare for children ages 6 months to 5 years	Educator makes sure that the village actually does raise the child, secures partnerships and gets students involved in projects and programs that are supportive and nurturing.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Vancouver	Vancouver	Creative Minds Early Learning Centre	Kathleen McCabe	Childcare for children ages 2 years to school age	Educator guides inquisitive young learners through an exploration of the world both inside the classroom and all around them.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Vancouver	Burnaby	Lilliput at UBC Childcare Services	Ingrid Keen	Childcare centre for children ages 18 months to 3 years	Kind and caring educator takes time to pay attention to details, gets to know each child and their dreams, and relies on local current events to inspire programming.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Vancouver	Vancouver	Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre Preschool	Linda Murdoch	Community centre for children ages 3 to 4 years	Educator experiments with new activities to expand minds. One day they're watching little baby eagles hatch, the next they're building papier-mâché eagles and nests.
British Columbia Certificate of Achievement	Victoria	Victoria	Nightingale Preschool and Junior Kindergarten Limited	Catriona Brown	Preschool and junior kindergarten for children ages 2.5 to 5.5 years	Imagination and education take centre stage: childcare centre undergoes transformation as children read a book – from snacks, to the role-play area, to props and costumes.
Manitoba Certificate of Achievement	Morden	Darlingford	Morden Community Childcare Centre	Shuana Richards	Childcare centre for children ages 3 months to 12 years	"Inclusion for all" philosophy guides educator to create memorable environment gets people moving and be happy doing it.
Manitoba Certificate of Achievement	Shilo	Brandon/ Wawanesa	Shilo Military Family Resource Centre	Janine Guenter, Hailey Kusche and Dana Lynn Thompson	Resource Centre / Occasional childcare program for children ages 3 months to 12 years	Daycare trio tailors programs to meet military families' needs and quickly become valued resources for households that rely on a single parent for short to long periods of time.
New Brunswick Certificate of Achievement	Saint John	Saint John	Saint John Y Early Learning Centre	Janet Towers	Childcare program for children aged 2	With pages worth of qualifications, experience and workshops, educator always seems to know what's happening in a child's world.
Newfoundland and Labrador Certificate of Achievement	Lewisporte	Appleton	New Fun Land III (3)	Gaye Roberts	Childcare centre for children ages 2 to 12 years	Energetic educator recognizes need for affordable and accessible childcare in rural Newfoundland, and caters to over 400 families.
Ontario Certificate of Achievement	Hagersville	Waterford	Ekwaamjigenang Children's Centre	Patricia Barber	Childcare centre for children ages 0 to 5 years	Up-to-date and informed, educator always on the lookout for new ways to improve activities, create partnerships and offer resources to parents and colleagues.
Ontario Certificate of Achievement	London	London	Arbour Glen Day Nursery	Charlene Moss	Childcare centre for children ages 3 to 6 years	If play is the work of all children this educator is their professional developer: she turns each encounter into a lesson and has a knack for tapping into connections and resources.
Ontario Certificate of Achievement	Ottawa	Osgoode	Acorn Early Learning Centre	Joanne Saunders	Childcare centre for children ages 18 months to 10 years	Innovative and above all compassionate, educator helps students save a turtle, writes book, and organizes fundraisers.
Ontario Certificate of Excellence	Ottawa	Almonte	Algonquin College Early Learning Centre	Lisa Lamarre	Demonstration Full Day Learning Centre	Putting words into action: with years of experience in challenging situations, educator seamlessly runs an incredibly respected demonstration program in the Ottawa community.
Prince Edward Island Certificate of Excellence	Charlottetown	Charlottetown	Little Wonders Child Care Centre	Elizabeth Jeffery	Childcare centre for children up to the age of 5	Educator finds learning possibilities in any material, object or situation and creates environment where students feel motivated to think differently, push further and do better.
Quebec Certificate of Excellence	Montréal	Laval	McGill Childcare Centre	Lisa Gallagher	Childcare centre for children ages 4 months to 5 years	Grace under pressure: executive director of a childcare centre almost doomed to close down, always has time to lend an ear and make you feel like you're the most important person in the world.
Saskatchewan Certificate of Excellence	Canora	Canora	Canora Junior Elementary School	Christine Danyluk	Pre-kindergarten to grade 4 elementary school	Educator creates colourful world that changes seamlessly with the seasons and where children have endless opportunities to be creative explorers.
Saskatchewan Certificate of Achievement	Regina	Regina	Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) Children's Day Care Centre	Melanie Bacon	Childcare centre for children ages 18 months to 5 years	Ooey gooey and messy: yes please! Educator lets children be messy and builds on concept that play and exploration are central to a child's development.