This annual award is presented on or around October 1st, the International Day of Older Persons (IDOP).
Since 2000, the Valued Elder Recognition Award (VERA) has honoured volunteers who, over their lifetime, have given exemplary service to helping others in the Capital Regional District (CRD).
Starting in 2016, the Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health and the Eldercare Foundation began partnering to present the VERA. With the Eldercare Foundation’s support, the VERA will recognize those who make a difference each and every day. Agencies and individuals are invited to make one nomination each year.
We give our congratulations and a warm thank you to the 2018 VERA recipients. Thank you for all your contributions to our community.
Download the 2019 VERA Nomination Form
- Nomination deadline: July 19, 2018
Download guidelines for letters of support
Eligibility criteria for the Valued Elder Recognition Award:
- The nominee must have made an exemplary contribution within the Capital Regional District (CRD)* for a minimum of ten years and must not have been paid for the contributions for which they are being honoured.
- While the contributions must have been made within the CRD, the individual need not be residing in the CRD at the present time.
- The individual must agree to stand for the nomination.
- The contributions made by the nominee must be supported by at least 4 letters of support from individuals in the community (see Guidelines for Letter of support). The nominator must provide one of the letters of support.
- The nominee has not received this award in previous years.
- Posthumous awards will not be given.
- One award nomination per agency.
*Municipalities in Capital Regional District: Central Saanich, Colwood, Esquimalt, Highlands, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Oak Bay, Saanich, Sidney, Sooke, Victoria, View Royal, Salt Spring Island, Juan de Fuca (Willis point, Malahat, East Sooke, Otter Point, Shirley, Jordan River, and Port Renfrew), Southern Gulf Island (Galiano, Mayne, Saturna, Piers, North and South Pender Island)
The Cedric Literary Awards is a writing competition for unpublished authors over the age of 50. Writers of this age group are encouraged to submit manuscripts in the categories of fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry..
The founders of The Cedric Literary Awards believe strongly that encouraging mature emerging writers empowers them to come out of social isolation and gives them a platform to showcase their writing as part of a juried competition.
A $3,000 prize is awarded to the winner in each category, and there is also a prize of the same value to a First Nations writer.
Since 2015, more than 300 writers from across BC have taken part in this first-in-Canada competition. Among them is 2016 non-fiction winner Beth Hawkes of Salt Spring Island, who says: “Receiving a Cedric Literary Award has encouraged me to share my words more freely with others, to deepen my exploration of the art and craft of writing, and to continue contributing to the world I live in."
Contact us for more information about bringing a Cedric Literary Award Competition to your community.