2026 Festivals & Events Ontario Volunteer of the Year Awards and Student Leader Award
Kitchener, Ontario (February 25, 2026) Festivals and Events Ontario (FEO) is proud to announce the 2026 FEO Volunteer of the Year Awards. FEO believes it is important to recognize significant contributions of these individuals to the festival and event industry – without their passion and dedication, this industry could not survive.
FEO maintains that the importance of volunteers to the festivals and events industry cannot be undervalued. FEO’s commitment to the festivals and events industry is strengthened by recognizing the volunteers who have distinguished themselves by virtue of their service to their community through significant involvement with festivals or events.
FEO would like to congratulate the following 2026 Volunteer Winners and the 2026 Student Leadership Winner
Family Volunteer of the Year
Easson Family – Caledonia Fair
Volunteer of the Year
Sandy Robertson – Westben Summer Festival
Student Leadership Award
Kennedy Stock – Port Colborne Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival
The “SUSTAIN” 2026 Festivals & Events Ontario Conference was held in Kitchener, Ontario from February 23-25, 2026.
Media Contact:
Jay Nijhuis
Marketing & Communications Manager
Festivals and Events Ontario
www.festivalsandeventsontario.com
519-742-2226
About Festivals & Events Ontario
Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) was established in 1987 as an association devoted to the growth and stability of the festival and event industry in Ontario. FEO supports a lively, engaged and dedicated festival and events industry by sharing knowledge, enabling networking and providing leadership on education, advocacy and promotion. FEO operates Canada’s largest dedicated festival and event Conference, publishes and distributes an annual consumer guide, promotes its industry festival supplier goods and services and oversees an industry-leading awards recognition program. The festivals and events industry in Ontario is estimated to generate in excess of $2.3 billion annually in contribution to regional GDP, create/sustain approximately 50,000 full-year-equivalent jobs and foster approximately $1 billion dollars in taxes at all levels of government.