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Montreal, November 3 – The Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) recognized organizations and individuals who have worked to advance the Canadian wind energy industry during its gala Awards Banquet yesterday as part of its 26th annual Conference and Exhibition.

Awards were presented in four categories: Individual Leadership, Group Leadership, the R.J. Templin Award for scientific, technical, engineering work and the Friend of Wind award.

CanWEA award winners for 2010 are:

Individual Leadership Award: John and Ross Keating

John Keating is the former CEO of Canadian Hydro Developers, Inc., a company he co-founded in 1989 with his brother Ross Keating, who for many years was the President and Chief Operating Officer. Canadian Hydro was solely focused on low-impact electric power generation in Canada. At the time it was acquired by TransAlta Corporation in October 2009, with assets valued at $1.64 billion, Canadian Hydro was Canada’s largest and most successful pure-play renewable energy developer.

Group Leadership Award: The Wind Energy TechnoCentre

The Wind Energy TechnoCentre is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to contribute to the development of an industrial wind energy network in Québec, able to compete on North American and world stages, while positioning the Gaspé Peninsula and Magdalen Islands as being central to this emerging niche of Québec’s economy. The Wind Energy TechnoCentre has four principal areas of endeavour: technical assistance for businesses, applied research, economic development and communication/events.

R.J. Templin Award: Liuchen Chang

Dr. Liuchen Chang has been key in the establishment of the University of New Brunswick's Department of Engineering, Test Facility for Wind and Solar Energy Conversion Systems.

Dr. Chang was instrumental in establishing the NSERC Wind Energy Strategic Network (WESNet), Canada’s nation-wide wind energy research collective and multi-partner alliance that includes leading researchers from 16 Canadian universities in six provinces.

Friend of Wind Award : Garry Matthews

Garry Matthews was a teacher, a farmer, and a municipal visionary.
He played a leadership role in embracing new opportunities for Melancthon township in Ontario and saw the potential for personal and municipal benefits from wind energy. He was at the helm during Ontario's early wind energy developments in area and was named Dufferin Newsmaker of the Year in 2005 for his involvement in wind power.

Sadly, Mr. Matthews passed away on September 27th, 2010. His dedication to community, his leadership, and his commitment to building a cleaner future for our children will never be forgotten.

“We are proud to recognize this year’s award winners for their contributions to the wind energy industry in Canada,” said CanWEA President Robert Hornung. “Their efforts and achievements have helped ensure that Canada’s wind energy industry is well on its way to reaching its goal of providing 20 per cent of the country’s electricity needs by 2025.”

About CanWEA:
CanWEA is the voice of Canada's wind energy industry, actively promoting the responsible and sustainable growth of wind energy on behalf of its more than 450 members. A national non-profit association, CanWEA serves as Canada's leading source of credible information about wind energy and its social, economic and environmental benefits. The report WindVision 2025 – A Strategy for Québec is available at the following address: http://www.canwea.ca/windvision_quebec_e.php

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For further information:
For English: Ulrike Kucera-Media Relations Officer, CanWEA 613-867-4433 or ulrikekucera@canwea.ca
For French: Debbie Cabana-Ryan Affaires publique, 514 443-0706 or dcabana@ryanap.com