Smart Commute Awards 2018
About the Awards
Every fall, the Smart Commute program selects the best of the best to be honoured for their outstanding commitment, leadership and innovation in supporting commuting alternatives. With over 350 workplaces and 800,000 employees, nominees for the Smart Commute Awards have serious competition.
This year, five workplaces, one local Smart Commute office and one Workplace Champion were recognized for their impressive contributions to the program.
Thank you to our sponsor, TELUS for supporting the 2018 Workplace Champion Award!
Awards Review Panel Members
We extend our gratitude to the expert panel of volunteers who evaluated all of the nominations:
- Chris Burke– Metrolinx
- Doug Spooner– Metrolinx
- Brendan Seale– Ikea Canada
- Hamish Campbell– City of Mississauga
- Jamie Austin– Durham Region Transit
- Julia Langer– The Atmospheric Fund
- Kate Whalen– McMaster University
2018 Smart Commute Award Winners
2018 Excellence Award, Durham – Veridian Connections, Ajax, Ontario
Electricity distributor Veridian initially got involved with Smart Commute nine years ago as the program reflects the company’s values: the health and safety of employees and the public, social and environmental responsibility and employee growth and development. With strong executive support, Veridian set up carpool spots in desirable locations and the program has grown exponentially ever since. Today Veridan offers bike lending programs, gym memberships, showers, telecommuting options and public transit reimbursement (among other benefits) to its employees, and also provides amenities like a transit bus shelter and a planned bike repair rack for public use. Veridian’s continued commitment has had far-reaching benefits for both employees and their north Ajax community.
2018 Excellence Award, Hamilton – City of Hamilton (Region Wide Winner)
With 8,500 employees, the City of Hamilton’s employee commute patterns can have a significant impact on congestion. The City is committed to promoting Smart Commute internally by offering secure bike parking facilities and showers at all major work sites, ensuring all campaigns are shared organization-wide and rotating the workplace champion each year to ensure new ideas are brought to the table. This commitment to innovation led to the development of a new Commuter Rewards Program, the first of its kind in the Smart Commute program. The program was a successful pilot, and now the Commuter Rewards Program can be rolled out on a larger scale.
2018 Excellence Award, Peel – Canadian Tire Corporation, Brampton and Bolton, Ontario locations