Charles Simon

Guelph area architect and planner Charles Simon recently received the OAC Volunteer Recognition Award. The Award is made annually by the Ontario Agricultural College “in recognition of the dedication and hard work of volunteers whose contributions have enhanced their communities”.

Charles has a long history of community involvement. At the beginning of his career, as architect for a local Civic Society in , he prepared pro bono proposals for a downtown re-vitalisation scheme. In Toronto, he drew up proposals for an early and successful neighbourhood traffic calming project.

His pioneering work in energy efficient building, environmentally sensitive site planning and resource planning has been widely recognised. His enthusiasm in these areas has led him to present talks and workshops to numerous community, youth and college or university groups.  

Most recently, he was the co-founder of the ambitious ’Eden Mills Going Carbon Neutral’ project. This community in which he lives is aiming to become the first carbon neutral village in North America

The citation in the Award states that “Charles Simon is an untiring advocate for livable communities, sustainable building design and imaginative ways of sharing our common community resources”.