2025 Green Award Winners Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Urban League of London is pleased to announce the winners of our 2025 Green Brick and Green Umbrella Awards! These annual awards recognize exceptional individuals and outstanding developments in the City of London. Past winners include Jane Bigelow, Todd Sleeper, Wood St. Food Forest and Covent Garden Market.

Since 1975 the Green Umbrella Award has recognized an individual, or occasionally an organization, demonstrating outstanding community citizenship and leadership in the city of London, as evidenced by a significant body of work. This year’s winner is Brendon Samuels.

Photo courtesy of Brendon Samuels.

The Urban League started giving Green Brick awards in 1984 to recognize an outstanding built form project in the city, usually where the development has engaged members of the community at both the planning and development stages of the project. This year’s winner is SoHo Community Association.

Photos courtesy of SoHo Community Association.

Award winners were honoured at the Urban League 2025 Annual General Meeting on June 26, 2025 at Aeolian Hall.

The Urban League is an umbrella organization representing more than 40 neighbourhood and community associations in London. Strong and connected communities are the building blocks of a vital, equitable and sustainable city. For over 50 years the Urban League has been working to engage and inform Londoners to improve and connect our city.

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Please direct any media inquiries to Luis Patricio, Urban League President.

ABOUT THE WINNERS

Green Umbrella - Brendon Samuels

Brendon Samuels is a resident of London living in the northeast part of the city. Brendon moved to London from the Greater Toronto Area in 2016 to attend Western University, where he earned a Master’s degree in Neuroscience and recently completed his PhD in Biology studying solutions for bird-glass collisions. While at Western, Brendon co-created and taught a graduate course aimed at teaching students about how to implement the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in their community. He has published papers about ecological community science and restoration projects that he led in London. Brendon volunteers with various organizations in London including the City of London's Environmental Stewardship and Action Community Advisory Committee, Antler River Rally, the Old North East Neighbourhood Association, and Bird Friendly London. In his free time, Brendon maintains an extensive habitat garden filled with native plants, many of which started as seeds shared by the community. He currently works in the Ecological Design Lab at the School of Urban and Regional Planning at Toronto Metropolitan University and is carrying out research into how fast-growing Canadian cities like London can preserve healthy networks of interconnected natural areas spanning private and public lands.

Green Brick - SoHo Community Association

The SoHo Community Association is a passionate, resident-led volunteer organisation dedicated to making SoHo a better place to live, work, and connect. Their mission is to unite neighbours, encourage community involvement, and promote a safe, healthy, and vibrant environment for everyone in the heart of London’s SoHo district.

They believe in action — from organising neighbourhood clean-ups and local events to advocating for community safety and wellness. From long-time residents or newcomers to the area, they have a place for all SoHo residents.

The SoHo Community Association reformed a year ago after some hiatus. Since reforming, they have been action oriented in bringing the community together. This past winter, they organized with the city to bring an ice rink to the neighborhood in Meredith Park. In addition to the ice rink, they have launched social media accounts, a monthly newsletter, and have hosted events such as the SoHo Market and SoHo Soaper soapbox race all in their first year of existence.