News Release
January 16, 2019

Nominations are open and Toronto residents are encouraged to submit nominations for the City of Toronto’s Pam McConnell Award for Young Women in Leadership, which recognizes the exceptional leadership of young women in Toronto.

“Deputy Mayor McConnell left us with a legacy of advocacy and commitment to building a city that is equitable, fair and inclusive,” said Mayor John Tory. “This award honours Pam’s memory by recognizing young women who strive to have a similar impact on their communities.”

The Pam McConnell Young Women in Leadership Award is open to young women residing in Toronto, between the ages of 16 and 29, who have:
• demonstrated exceptional leadership skills through a proven track record of volunteer and/or paid work in the community-based sector
• shown a commitment to social justice work by creating or leading community-based programs or services for vulnerable youth or residents in Toronto
• inspired other young women through formal or informal mentorship.

Applications for the award are due by 11:45 p.m. on February 8, and can be submitted online: http://ow.ly/5WPe30nkbNf.

The runners-up will be acknowledged and two successful recipients will be presented with an award and a $500 prize at an International Women’s Day event on March 8.
 
The Pam McConnell Award for Young Women was established in January 2018 in memory of Deputy Mayor McConnell to recognize young women’s exceptional leadership. She was a City councillor from 1994 to 2017 and the former Chair of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Standing Committee on Increasing Women’s Participation in Municipal Government. Deputy Mayor McConnell was also the Champion for the City’s Protégée Program, a mentorship program matching young women with City councillors intending to increase women’s representation in electoral politics.

The Protégée program is in its seventh year and has mentored approximately 50 young women between the ages of 16 and 29.

More information on the Pam McConnell Young Women in Leadership Award is available at https://www.toronto.ca/city-government/awards-tributes/awards/.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the fourth largest in North America, and home to a diverse population of more than 2.9 million people. It is a global centre for business, finance, arts and culture and is consistently ranked one of the world’s most livable cities. For information on non-emergency City services and programs, Toronto residents, businesses and visitors can visit http://www.toronto.ca, call 311, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at http://www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/cityofto.

Natasha Hinds Fitzsimmins
Strategic Communications
416-392-5349