Service Award

Background

RASC Service AwardAs a volunteer-driven organization the RASC relies heavily upon the talents and contributions of its members to deliver programs and services. The Service Award was instituted in 1959 to recognize the contributions of members who, at either the National or Centre levels, have made a significant contribution to the life and vitality of the Society. The award is a bronze medal engraved with the winner's name and year of presentation. (See "Establishment of the Service Award of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada," JRASC 56, 131.)

The Service Award is a major award of the Society given to a member in recognition of outstanding service, rendered over an extended period of time, where such service has had a major impact on the work of the Society and/or of a Centre of the Society. The Award is given only by resolution of the Board of Directors, on recommendation of the Awards Committee. The Award shall be presented at the Society's General Assembly. The recipient will be offered reimbursement for two nights' accommodation and up to two banquet tickets, if he or she travels to the GA to receive the award.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Award, a recipient must

  • Be a member in good standing (a Service Award may be made posthumously to a member who would otherwise have been eligible).
  • Have rendered substantial service of a well-defined nature to the Society and/or a Centre over a period of at least ten years. Such service should have had a major, constructive impact and would involve a very substantial and continued commitment on the part of the nominee.
  • Not have received a Service Award before.

Any two Society members may submit nominations for the award. Nominations should be sent to the Awards Committee chair by December 31. Use the fillable form below.

Note: A special Service Award was given to Col R.S. McLaughlin in 1965 in recognition of his munificence in funding and endowing the McLaughlin Planetarium in Toronto.

Recipients

Links to relevant JRASC pages are provided where available. Citations (PDF) are provided for those not published in JRASC.

2020s - 19 recipients

2024

  • Charles Ennis, Sunshine Coast
  • Heather Laird, Calgary
  • June MacDonald, New Brunswick
  • James MacWilliam, Sunshine Coast

2023

  • Chris Young, Halifax
  • Quinn Smith, Halifax
  • Sylvia Graca, Winnipeg
  • John Marchese, Mississauga
  • Emma MacPhee, New Brunswick
  • Pierre Schierle, Regina

2022

  • Robert Babb, St. John’s Centre
  • Philip Downey, Niagara Centre
  • Robert Lewis, Niagara Centre
  • Ron Macnaughton, Toronto Centre
  • Merlyn Melby, Saskatoon Centre
  • Tenho Tuomi, Saskatoon Centre
  • Barbara Wright, Saskatoon Centre

2021

  • Diane Bell (Victoria Centre)
  • Andrew Bennett (Okanagan Centre)
  • Zoltan Boda (Okanagan Centre)
  • Darrell Chatfield (Saskatoon Centre)
  • Paul Delaney (Toronto Centre)
  • Ellen Dickson (Saskatoon Centre)
  • Leslie (Les) Dickson (Saskatoon Centre)
  • Blair MacDonald (Halifax Centre)
  • Ronald (Ron) Waldron (Saskatoon Centre)
  • Ian Wheelband (Toronto Centre)

2020 - View Citation

  • Dennis Krause (Okanagan Centre)
  • Steve Holmes (Kitchener-Waterloo Centre)
2010s - 39 recipients

2019 - View Citation

  • Michael Bradley (Sunshine Coast)
  • Joanne Burns (Kingston)
  • Phil Chow (Toronto)
  • Mike Hanes (London)
  • Robyn Foret (Calgary)
  • Bruce Fryer (Sunshine Coast)
  • Randy Groundwater (Windsor)
  • Scott Masterton (Toronto)
  • Ed Mizzi (Hamilton)
  • Blake Nancarrow (Toronto)
  • Roger Nelson (Calgary)
  • Vance Petriew (Regina)
  • Linda Pulliah (Sudbury)
  • Lauri Roche (Victoria)
  • Rick Saunders (London)
  • Danny Sklazeski (Sunshine Coast)
  • David Thompson (Sunshine Coast)
  • Luca Vanzella (Edmonton)
  • Rick Wagner (Ottawa)

2018 - View Citation

  • Richard Christie (Okanagan)
  • Brian Lucas (Sunshine Coast)
  • Colleen O'Hare (Okanagan)
  • Grant Rice (Okanagan)
  • Neil Sandy (Sunshine Coast)

2017 - View Citation

  • Eric Briggs (Toronto)
  • Dr. Simon Hanmer (Ottawa)
  • Katrina Ince-Lum (Toronto)
  • Michael Moghadam (Ottawa)
  • Charles O’Dale (Ottawa)
  • Dr. Brian Pihak (Niagara)
  • Betty Robinson (Mississauga)
  • Randall Rosenfeld (National Member)
  • Stan Sammy (Niagara)
  • Gerry Smerchanski (Winnipeg)
  • Don Town (Belleville)

2016 - View Citation

  • Andy Blanchard (Hamilton)
  • Gary Bennett (Hamilton)
  • Paul Gray (Halifax)
  • Hugh Pett (Okanagan)
  • Chris Teron (Ottawa)

2015 - View Citation

  • David M.F. Chapman (Halifax)
  • Colin Haig (Hamilton)
  • Chris Malicki (Mississauga)

2014 - View Citation

  • Jay Anderson (Winnipeg)
  • Dave Gamble (Okanagan)
  • Susan Gagnon (Kingston)
  • Dr. James Hesser (Victoria)
  • Greg Lisk (Belleville)
  • Chris Stevenson (St. John's)
  • Mary Lou Whitehorne (Halifax)

2013 - View Citation

  • Larry McNish (Calgary)
  • Dietmar Kupke (Toronto)
  • Brian McCullough (Ottawa)

2012 - View Citation

  • Roland Dechesne (Calgary)
  • James Edgar (Regina)
  • Fred Smith (St. John's)

2011 - View Citation

  • Robert Dick (Ottawa)

2010 - View Citation

  • Bryan Kelso (Okanagan)
  • Guy Mackie (Okanagan)
  • Barry Matthews (Ottawa)
  • Curt Nason (New Brunswick)
  • James Tisdale (Okanagan)
2000s - 27 recipients

2009 - View Citation

  • Clint Shannon (Halifax) - Presented before the GA
  • Robert Duff (London)
  • Kim Hay (Kingston)
  • Richard Huziak (Saskatoon)
  • Walter MacDonald (Kingston)
  • Al Seaman* (Ottawa)
  • Patrice Scattolin (CFdeM)
  • Alan Whitman (Okanagan)

2008 - View Citation

  • Denis Grey (Toronto)
  • Leslie Harvey (Toronto)
  • Tony Horvatin (Toronto)

2007

  • Dr. Rajiv Gupta (Vancouver)
  • Bruce McCurdy (Edmonton)

2006

2005

2004

2003 - Dave McCarter (London)

2001

2000 - Phil Johnson (Calgary)

1990s - 20 recipients

1999

1998

1996

1995

1994

  • Randy Dodge (St. John's)
  • Gary Dymond (St. John's)
  • Mel Rankin (Edmonton)

1993

1992

1991

1990 - Mary Grey* (Ottawa)

1980s - 25 recipients

1989 - Raymond Auclair (Member at Large)

1988

1987

1986

1985

1984

1983

1982

1981

1980 - Stan Mott (Ottawa)

1970s - 21 recipients

1979

1978 - Marie (Fidler) Litchinsky* (Calgary/Toronto)

1977

1976

1975 - D.J. FitzGerald (Toronto)

1974

1973 - Fred P. Lossing* (Ottawa)

1972

1971

1970

1960s - 32 recipients

1968 - Announcement

1967

1966

1965

1964

1963

1962

1961 - Robert Peters* [2*] (Victoria)

1960

1959

  • E.J.A. Kennedy* (National Secretary)
  • J.H. Horning* (National Treasurer)

*Deceased.

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PDF icon Service Award fillable form1.26 MB