Category:
Individual Achievement

Recipient:
Chuck Charlebois Renaissance Group,
Cornwall

The Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) is pleased to present a "Brownie" award to Chuck Charlebois. This award recognizes his outstanding efforts in leading the Renaissance Group Community Association's efforts to redevelop parts of Cornwall's historic industrial waterfront.

The Renaissance Group comprises over 40 public, private, and not-for-profit organizations dedicated to improving the quality of life in the City of Cornwall through community-building initiatives. It is a key element in sparking much of the revitalization that is transforming downtown Cornwall into a once-again vibrant and healthy Eastern Ontario centre.

The Brownie Award

Since the Renaissance Group was formed as a grass-roots organization of concerned citizens, Chuck has been the "sparkplug" who has helped kick-start much-needed redevelopment in the former industrial Cotton Mill district along the waterfront, as well as in Le Village, a formerly derelict area next to downtown. He is currently spearheading the community-led initiative to revitalize a strategic part of the Cotton Mill site. Chuck leads the Renaissance Liaison Committee that oversees the entire project and is made up of representatives of the Renaissance group and the City of Cornwall.

With the City's support, Chuck and the Renaissance Group have mobilized key players, such as the Caisse Populaire, the local Homebuilders' Association, the clergy and other community groups into action. Chuck is truly the main catalyst for helping transform areas of the waterfront with a brownfields past into a productive and vibrant part of the community for the benefit of the whole city.

This article originally appeared on the
Ontario Centre for Environmental Technology Advancement (OCETA) web site.

For more information on the Brownie Award see the Canadian Urban Institute web site.