AWARDS

Annual Awards Nominations 2025

Now Open!

The John Simkins Memorial Hybridizer Award

This award has been established to encourage and draw attention to hybridizing activity in Canada and shine a spotlight on uniquely Canadian plants, their creators, and the creation process. Eligibility for this award is not limited to those carrying out willful hand-pollinated crosses in the strictest sense. It is also open to those growing peonies from seed, be it from their plants or other sources. Also eligible are those promoting hybridizing activities and sharing educational content. This distinction can be awarded posthumously.

This award is named in honour of John Simkins, the founder of the CPS and its first President, who sold seedlings in small plastic cups for $1 to connect others with the magical experience of growing never-before-seen plants; many of these seedlings were shared far and wide and sent overseas.

2025 CPS Lifetime Achievement Award

Purpose of the Award

This prestigious award recognizes members who have contributed to the Canadian Peony Society and peony world in a variety of ways – as a volunteer, grower, leader, ambassador, author, writer or innovator. The nominee must be a current member of the Canadian Peony Society to be considered for this award.

Award Criteria

Individuals nominated must have given of themselves to promote the Peony in any combination of the following ways:

- Ambassador
- Author
- Editor
- Grower
- Hybridizer
- Board member
- Donation of roots to gardens which are open to the public
- Organizer of major society activities
- Member in good standing

Nominate Today!

Do you have the perfect candidate in mind for one or both of these annual awards?

Any member of the Society may nominate any other member of CPS by writing a letter to the board outlining the reasons for the nomination.

The deadline for this year’s nominations is March 31st, 2025 at 12am PT.

Send nominations to Darlene Kalawsky, Awards Chair.
darlene@
Kalawsky.com

Contact Darlene

Previous Award Winners

25TH ANNIVERSARY DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENT

Reiner Jakubowski

Reiner Jakubowski receiving certificate

Congratulations to Reiner Jakubowski, the winner of the Canadian Peony Society’s 25th Anniversary Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes Reiner as a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the peony world in many different roles. Reiner served in many capacities on the CPS board, serving as president as early as 2000, and later as secretary and membership coordinator. He has put in countless hours on behalf of the Society. In 2000 Reiner registered the beautiful “Castlegar” Itoh peony. Reiner has also been very active with the American Peony Society and he served as the peony cultivar Registrar for ICRA for 18 years. During that time he instituted a more detailed registration format and processed approximately 800 new peonies. Thank you, Reiner, for your contribution to the growth and development of all things Peony!

Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Brian Porter

Congratulations to this year’s winner of the Canadian Peony Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Brian is a professional horticulturist, co-founder of the Regina Peony Society which shortly became the Prairie Peony Society, and past president of both the Prairie and Canadian Peony Societies. He has been instrumental in the staging of more than two decades of peony shows held in Regina, including three national shows. His involvement with peonies goes back many years. Brian became the unofficial curator of the Agriculture Canada peony gardens at Indian Head and helped to relocate the peonies in 1994. He has organized distribution of peonies to various existing public peony gardens in Canada and “saved” many peonies when peony gardens were slated for removal. Brian has shared his knowledge and love of peonies through his many peony articles, editing of the Prairie Peony Society newsletter, and webinar presentations on heritage peonies. Thank you, Brian, for your amazing contributions to the peony world.

Who We Are

We are a Society dedicated to the growth and development of Peonies. We are always looking for new members and enthusiasts to join the Society, so join us and come and share your passion!

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Contact Info

Canadian Peony Society
4338 Line 26
St. Pauls, ON N0K 1V0
info@peony.ca