Governors' Gala & Rix Awards 2025
Celebrate Leadership and Excellence in Our Community!
Join us for a remarkable evening at the 37th Annual Governors' Gala and Rix Awards, taking place on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. This prestigious event will bring together leaders from across Greater Vancouver to recognize and celebrate exceptional contributions to our community.
At the heart of the evening, we will proudly present the Rix Award for Community Citizenship and the Rix Award for Corporate Citizenship—a tribute to the lasting legacy of Dr. Don Rix, former Chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and an extraordinary philanthropist.
The night will also see the induction of the immediate past chair of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade into the esteemed Council of Governors.
It is with great excitement that we announce this year's honorees:
2025 Rix Award for Community Citizenship
Bob Rennie
Bob Rennie, a celebrated advocate for the region, has played a pivotal role in numerous philanthropic initiatives focused on mental health, education, and the arts. As the founder and Executive Director of the rennie group, Bob has revolutionized real estate marketing and development strategies for over 47 years, offering specialized services in sales, marketing, intelligence, and technology.
His leadership extends beyond business, as seen in his oversight of the 2010 Olympic Village receivership and his continued support of the arts. In 2022, Bob generously donated Vancouver's oldest structure in Chinatown, the Wing Sang building, along with a $7.8-million gift to the Chinese History Society, which led to the opening of Canada's first Chinese Canadian Museum on July 1, 2023. His commitment to preserving cultural heritage is further reflected in his donation of 197 artworks, valued at over $13 million, to the National Gallery of Canada in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary.
Bob serves on numerous boards, including the Board of Directors of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and as Chair of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics. He also holds leadership roles in prominent art institutions such as the Tate Museum American Acquisitions and the Council for Canadian American Relations. His accolades include the Order of British Columbia and the Queen's Diamond, Golden, and Platinum Jubilee awards.
2025 Rix Award for Corporate Citizenship
Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting that empowers clients, people, and communities to rise to the world's greatest challenges at a time when the world faces more unprecedented concerns than ever before. They have been honoured with the prestigious Rix Award for Engaged Corporate Citizenship for their passion to help create strong and vibrant communities achieved by focusing on four pillars—arts, education, health and wellness, and environment.
Through a variety of donations, sponsorships, and volunteering programs they plan, by 2030, to invest a further $30 million into community organizations around the globe, taking their total to $60 million since starting this initiative in 2007. Stantec has supported over 40 non-profit organizations and post-secondary institutions across British Columbia through financial contributions and employee volunteer opportunities encouraged through their Dollars for Doers program and Stantec in the Community Week. The firm has a passion for creating strong and vibrant communities and is proud to support these local organizations that work tirelessly to strengthen communities.
Inductee into the Council of Governors
Juggy Sihota-Chahil
2023-24 Chair, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
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