Mayor Ed Holder wearing the Chain of Office while delivering his inaugural address at the London Convention Centre after being sworn in as London's 64th mayor, December 3, 2018. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn Media)

Mayor's New Year's Honour list released

By Allanah Wills

January 1, 2020 - 3:49pm

Several Londoners are starting off 2020 with a special distinction from Mayor Ed Holder.

The Mayor’s New Year’s Honour List was revealed Wednesday morning and includes 11 people being recognized for their philanthropic work.

Recipients are named by city council on the recommendation of advisory committees or community organizations, through the city’s standing committees.

The 2020 honourees are and their respective categories are:

Gary Doerr – Accessibility
Patrick Fleming - Age-Friendly
Renée Silberman – Arts
Leroy Hibbert – Distinguished Londoner
Don Campbell – Distinguished Londoner
Brian Hill – Distinguished Londoner
Hayden Foulon (posthumously) – Distinguished Londoner
Rob McQueen – Environment
Arthur McClelland – Heritage
Carla Garagozzo – Housing
Alexander Kopacz – Sports

“It is truly an honour to publicly recognize and celebrate these outstanding Londoners,” said Holder. “Their work, their commitment to community-building, and their kindness inspire all of us. London is a more dynamic, and a more caring city as a result of their efforts.”

The Mayor of London’s annual Honour List began in 1976 with recognition of contributions to the arts. Since 1989, the additional categories of diversity and race relations, the environment, heritage, housing, humanitarianism, persons with disabilities, safety and crime prevention, accessibility, age-friendly and sports have been added.

Earlier this year, city council added a ‘distinguished Londoner’ category, that recognizes a maximum of four individuals who have made an “outstanding contribution to community collaboration, or acts of goodwill by giving back to our city.”