Awards

Pickering is an award-winning city! Recent awards and accolades include:

2025

• The City of Pickering’s Pickering Museum Village has received the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation for the 2024 restoration of the log house and log barn. The City worked with B.A. Construction on restoration of the oldest buildings on the Pickering Museum Village property. Read more.
• Pickering named 2025 Municipality of the Year by Festivals & Events Ontario. The award celebrates municipalities, towns, and cities that have demonstrated exceptional commitment to supporting and enhancing festivals and events.  Adding to this achievement, the City’s Cultural Fusion Festival has been named one of the Top 100 Festivals & Events in Ontario for 2025. Read more.
• Pickering has been recognized by the Sustainable Housing Foundation with a ‘Certificate of Recognition for Municipal Leadership and Preserving Builder’s Choice’ for the City’s Integrated Sustainable Design Standards (ISDS). The Foundation highlighted the ISDS are practical and offer flexibility while advancing sustainability design and best practices, appreciating there is more than one pathway to achieve the same high performance outcomes. Pickering’s ISDS are now being used as a model by other municipalities.

2024

• Pickering named in Globe and Mail's '100 most livable cities in Canada.' The Globe and Mail has developed a data-driven rankings to assist in making this crucial decision. The City of Pickering was ranked third in the Ontario region category. View more.
• Pickering City Centre Farmers’ Market won 1st Place – ‘Diamond Winner’ in the Ajax Pickering Readers’ Choice Awards.  This is the 6th consecutive year that the City has been recognized in the Readers’ Choice Awards ‘Best Farm Market’ category.

2023

• The Intelligent Community Forum (ICF) has recognized Pickering as one of the world’s Smart21 Communities of 2023.
• Pickering City Centre Farmers’ Market won 1st Place – ‘Diamond Winner’ in the Ajax Pickering Readers’ Choice Awards.  This is the 5th consecutive year that the City has been recognized in the Readers’ Choice Awards ‘Best Farm Market’ category. The market is a vibrant weekly gathering place for residents to shop for fresh local produce, baked goods, prepared meals, and more; all the while supporting local businesses and enjoying talented entertainers.
• Won Gold in the 2023 Viddy Awards for its non-broadcast, short-form web video category for the video “This is your year! Join Chestnut Hill Developments Recreation Complex". 
• Won Gold in the 2023 Viddy Awards non-broadcast, short-form web video category for the video “Pickering’s Electric Vehicle Level 3 Charging Stations Promo”.
• Won Gold in the 2023 Viddy Awards non-broadcast, Social Media Videos category for the video “First of its kind Canine Activity Area in Dunmoore Park’s Leash-free Area!”.
  • The Viddy Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). Viddy recognizes excellence in the way video is created, produced, and delivered. The goal of the Viddy Awards is to identify and recognize video artisans who excel in the scope of their own environment. The Gold Award is awarded for projects that exceed industry standards. 

2022

• Won Gold in the 2022 Viddy Awards for its non-broadcast, short-form web video highlighting the Balsdon Park leash-free area grand opening and Councillor Ian Cumming’s commemorative plaque unveiling. Viddy Awards is an international competition honoring video excellence in a digital world. Viddy Awards is administered by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international organization oversees awards and recognition programs and honors outstanding achievement and service to the profession.
• Won Gold in the 2022 MarCom Awards for its strategic communications and public education campaign around the City's planning and development process. MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals. 
• CAO, Marisa Carpino named one of Canada’s Clean50 Award Honourees. The annual awards program, led by Delta Management Group, celebrates Canada’s top leaders in sustainability, and is selected from 16 diverse categories that transcend industry, academia, government, thought leaders, and advocates. Read more. 
• Pickering Farmers’ Market won 2022 "Best Farm Market - Diamond" in the Durham Region Readers' Choice Awards for supporting local businesses, and providing the opportunity to enjoy fresh produce, baked goods, meats, and more.

2021

• The City of Pickering was awarded the Ontario Parks Association 2021 Protecting Tomorrow Today® Community Engagement Award for raising awareness of parks, open spaces and/or environment through various community engagement activities.
• Pickering Public Library received a third-place 2020 TD Summer Reading Club Library Award, and received $2,000 to go toward enhancing the Library's children's programming. 
• Received the Festival & Events Ontario (FEO) 2021 Achievement Award for Summer Concert Series 2020.
• Received the Festival & Events Ontario (FEO) 2021 Achievement Award for Tree Lighting 2020.
• Received the Festival & Events Ontario (FEO) 2021 Achievement Award for Artfest on the Esplanade 2020.
• Received the Festival & Events Ontario (FEO) 2021 Achievement Award for Santa at the Drive-In 2020.
• Pickering Farmers’ Market won 2021 "Best Farm Market - Platinum" in the Durham Region Readers' Choice Awards for supporting local businesses, and providing the opportunity to enjoy fresh produce, baked goods, meats, and more.
• Pickering Museum Village was voted Best Small Museum in Ontario by Attractions Ontario
• Pickering Museum Village was voted #1 Best Museum and Best Tourism Attraction by Reader’s Choice, News Advertiser

2020

• Pickering Farmers’ Market won 2020 "Best Farm Market" in the Durham Region Readers' Choice Awards for supporting local businesses, and providing the opportunity to enjoy fresh produce, baked goods, meats, and more.

2019

• Pickering Farmers’ Market won 2019 "Best Farm Market" in the Durham Region Readers' Choice Awards for supporting local businesses, and providing the opportunity to enjoy fresh produce, baked goods, meats, and more.

2018

• Won “Lighting – Largest Savings” at the Powering Up Durham Awards, which recognizes organizations that are championing energy conservation initiatives within their community.
• Presented with the Leadership Award from the EcoBusiness Network in recognition of our demonstrated leadership in conservation and sustainability while setting an example for others to follow.
• Received Metrolinx Smart Commute Gold 2017 Workplace designation for the sixth consecutive year for efforts in promoting and supporting sustainable travel options for staff.
• Named World's Smart21 Communities of 2018 and 2017 by the Intelligent Community Forum. Visit pickering.ca/smart for details. 

2017

• Recognized as one of the 2017/2018 American Cities of the Future by fDi magazine. Pickering was ranked in the top 10 among micro cities - placing fourth for connectivity and sixth for business friendliness.
• Pickering Public Library won the Psychological Safety Award - Silver Medal Winner. This award is presented by Canadian Occupation Safety and Thomson Reuters in recognition of the Pickering Public Library's efforts to promote workplace and employee mental health and awareness.
• Gold in the Marcom Awards for a responsive website design and development project.
• Standard of Excellence WebAward in the WebAward Competition, produced by the Web Marketing Association (WMA).
• Gold in the 2017 Hermes Creative Awards for a responsive website design and development project.
• 2017 Municipal Accessibility Award from OMSSA for efforts in accessibility and inclusion throughout the design and execution of the 2017 Canada 150 Youth Forum.
• The Pickering Fire Combat Team, comprised of Pickering Fire Services staff, won two gold medals at the 2017 SCOTT FireFit Championships.
• Platinum Level - Youth Friendly Community Award, Play Works Ontario - Partnership for Active & Engaged Youth
• #150RecFacilities – 1st Place (Youth Forum) Ontario Recreation Facilities Association

2016

• Pickering Public Library won TD Summer Reading Club Program Award - First Place in Canada. This award is given out to the library that implements the best, most creative, and effective summer reading program that gets kids more involved in reading, while also encouraging them to have fun.

2015

• Pickering Public Library won the Minister's Award for Innovation (short list) - How to in 10 Festival. The Minister's Award for Innovation recognizes successful new approaches that demonstrate a positive impact in a community and are of continued value to public libraries.
• Pickering's Millennium Square voted 'Top 10 places to see a free outdoor concert in Durham' by Oshawa this Week.
• Conservation Champion Award from Veridian for outstanding electricity conservation efforts.

2014

• Art of Transition Creative Awards - How to in 10 Festival. These awards celebrate Durham Region's creative economy.
• Pickering Public Library won the TD Summer Reading Club Program Award - Second Place in Canada. The TD Summer Reading Club Library Awards recognize and reward the most innovative and effective TD Summer Reading Club programs in local public libraries across Canada. 

2013

• Won "Best use of creativity to advance social and environmental sustainability" for our Celebrating Sustainable Neighbourhoods at the Durham Art of Transition Creative Awards. 

2012

• Won Smart Commute Durham Employer of the Year Award.