Peggy Kurtin Award Program

The CPA celebrates great work in restoration and streetscape improvements.  Owners who have completed significant restoration work to street-exposed sides of their properties in the past two years, through an imaginative understanding of the scale, materials, and detailing, are eligible to apply.

The awards are named after Peggy Kurtin (1932-2009), a Cabbagetown residents and former CPA president who, for many years, was the soul of heritage in Cabbagetown.

The objectives of the awards are:

  • to recognize efforts to maintain the historic context of Cabbagetown
  • to encourage individual owners to refine the quality of the community's streetscapes
  • to bring public awareness to the efforts of homeowners, shop and building owners and architects to enhance the architectural integrity of Cabbagetown, and
  • to acknowledge architects, contractors, craftsmen and tradespeople who become involved in the enhancement and preservation of our neighbourhood.

There are three awards. Not every award is given annually.

  1. EXCELLENCE IN RESTORATION
    This is our main Award. The application deadline is April 15th. Work expected to be completed before the deadline may be eligible. Winners are announced at the CPA Annual General Meeting  at the end of May. The winner is presented with a certificate and an artist's rendering of their building.
  2. IMPROVED FACADE
    The winner is presented with a certificate.
  3. SPECIAL AWARD
    The winner is presented with a certificate.
2022 AWARDS COMMITTEE
  • Stephen Yeates, Chair
  • Daniel Bloch
  • Local architects who support the committee in making the final decisions.

Special thanks this year to Monica Kuhn.

2023 EXCELLENCE IN RESTORATION
274 Carlton Street

Archive of current & past winners

NOMINATIONS, SUBMISSIONS & JUDGING

A call goes out to the community at the end of February each year to recommend projects for consideration. Submissions should include photographs and/or drawings of the project, showing both the before and after conditions, together with a brief written description of the work involved, the philosophy of the owner towards the work, and something about the history of the building and the restoration process. Please get in touch with the CPA using our contact form and member of the awards committee  will contact you to discuss your submission. Members of the awards committee are also available for consultation.

The judges take several factors into consideration in evaluating a building, including:

  • the contribution of the improvement to the street
  • the use of materials, colour, and other changes in line with the objectives of a heritage district
  • the perceived improvement over the previous state of the original facade.

Where new buildings are involved, the CPA welcomes entries which are creatively modern in style, yet sympathetic to the existing buildings and streetscape.

Details on the past winners. If an award is not listed in any year it is because no award was made.