PEI Museum Heritage Awards
Congratulations 2026 Heritage Awards recipients!
The Heritage Awards were presented by Dr. Wassim Salamoun on Sunday, March 22, 2026, at the Eptek Art & Culture Centre in Summerside.
Thank you to all who joined us for the celebration!
See photos of the event here
2026 Heritage Awards Recipients
Heritage Recognition Awards:
- Rosemary Curley, Barbara MacDonald, Johanne Vigneault and Chris Ortenburger: for their work raising public awareness on the positive role of museums in Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
- Benevolent Irish Society of Prince Edward Island: for their efforts in celebrating Irish-Canadian culture in Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk
- Andrews Tribune Newsletter: for their work documenting and sharing the life stories and lived experiences of seniors in Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
- Gary MacDougall and Carolyn McKillop: for their work researching, writing and publishing the book Tyne Valley: The People, Their History.
Mary Cornfoot Brehault Genealogy Award
- Jean MacKay: for her dedicated service as an archivist at the MacNaught History Centre and Archives in Summerside, Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
Natural Heritage Activity Award
- Jake Harding: for his work catching, identifying, and cataloguing insects and arthropods on Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
Volunteer of the Year Award
- Percy Affleck: for his leadership, passion and dedication to preserving and sharing the history of the Bedeque area in Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
Irene Rogers Architectural Award
- Mark Rodd: for his leadership and initiative in conserving and restoring the historic Charlottetown Hotel.
Wendell Boyle Performance Award
- Richard Wood: for performing and sharing Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk musical and cultural heritage for over forty years.
Academic Publication of the Year
- Frank Gillan: for preserving and sharing Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk heritage through his book They Can’t Take the Kids.
Creative Publication of the Year
- Kate MacQuarrie: for preserving and sharing Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk heritage through her book Wild Foods of Prince Edward Island.
Catherine Hennessey Heritage Activism Award – Young Adult Category
- Town of Stratford: for their work connecting youth to Stratford’s heritage through their 30th Anniversary Book Project.
Catherine Hennessey Heritage Activism Award – Adult Category
- Town of Stratford: for their efforts to engage residents with their history of military service through a knit and crochet poppy project.
Boyde Beck Memorial Award
- Connecting Conversations Indigenous Language & Drumming Program: for their work teaching and sharing Mi’kmaq language, culture and heritage in Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
Boyde Beck Memorial Bursary
- Miyuki Fujimaru: for her enthusiasm and effort in studying, sharing and preserving culture and heritage on Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
Award of Honour
- Clarence Ryan: for his outstanding contributions to conservation, research and education in natural heritage on Prince Edward Island/Epekwitk.
We thank all applicants. Only those selected for an award will be contacted.
If your nominee is selected, they will receive a letter including their nominator's name.
For general information, contact us at mhpei@gov.pe.ca or call us at (902) 368-6600
The PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation Heritage Awards are presented annually to individuals or groups in recognition of their contribution to heritage on Prince Edward Island. If you know someone who should be recognized with a Heritage Award, we would love to hear from you!
Online Form
Instructions are included in the form.
Mail and in-person submissions
Forms can be delivered in person or mailed to the address below. Copies of the form can also be picked up at the same address.
For in-person submissions, please check Beaconsfield Historic House hours of operation.
PEI Museum & Heritage Foundation
Attn: Heritage Awards
2 Kent Street
Charlottetown, PE
C1A 1M6
E-mail submissions
Forms can be sent by e-mail in PDF format to mhpei@gov.pe.ca Subject line: Heritage Awards
Heritage Award Categories
- Heritage Recognition Awards: To individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the knowledge and understanding of any aspect of the heritage of Prince Edward Island. Heritage includes human and natural history. It encompasses architectural preservation, folklore, culture, archives, archaeology, genealogy, and history in all forms. These awards will recognize original and important contributions to the preservation and/or interpretation of significant aspects of the heritage of Prince Edward Island.
- Award of Honour: To an individual or institution for outstanding contributions and demonstration of a high level of achievement in the areas of research, education, or preservation as they relate to the human or natural history of Prince Edward Island. The Award of Honour recognizes an individual's lifetime or career achievements, or an institution's consistently high level of contributions over long periods of time.
- Architectural Conservation Project of the Year: To an individual or group responsible for an architectural conservation project on Prince Edward Island that demonstrates a strong awareness of heritage values.
- Boyde Beck Memorial Award: Awarded to a group or individual for outstanding contributions through the sharing of oral history and storytelling of Prince Edward Island.
- Catherine Hennessey Heritage Activism Awards (2): One awarded to a member of the public age 26 and older, and one to a young adult 25 and younger, who have demonstrated impactful community activism around heritage, in tangible projects including digital initiatives.
- Irene Rogers Architectural Award: To an individual or group for outstanding, long-time contribution to the architectural heritage of Prince Edward Island.
- Mary Cornfoot Brehaut Genealogy Award: To an individual or group for outstanding contribution to genealogy and family history on Prince Edward Island.
- Natural Heritage Activity Award: To a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the preservation or promotion of the natural heritage of Prince Edward Island.
- Publications of the Year (3): Each award is given to an individual or group that has authored a publication in the past year. One award is for a research publication that has made a significant contribution to the understanding of any aspect of the heritage of Prince Edward Island. The second award is for a creative publication that contributes to the awareness and understanding of any aspect of heritage on Prince Edward Island. The third award is for a children's book that focuses on any aspect of the heritage of Prince Edward Island.
- Volunteer of the Year: To a volunteer who has made a significant contribution to the preservation or promotion of the heritage of Prince Edward Island.
- Wendell Boyle Performance Award: To a group or individual for outstanding contribution in a performance medium such as music or theatre that highlights or interprets the history of Prince Edward Island.
We thank all applicants. Only those selected for an award will be contacted.
If your nominee is selected, they will receive a letter including their nominator's name.
For general information, contact us at mhpei@gov.pe.ca or call us at (902) 368-6600
Learn more about Heritage Award Eligibility and Nomination Criteria (PDF).
List of previous Heritage Award recipients: