News & Updates
12 Individuals to be Inducted to the Chelsea Wall of Fame on October 26th, 2024
The Chelsea Foundation is pleased to announce the list of 12 individuals elected for induction into the Chelsea Wall of Fame. The program is designed to recognize those individuals who have demonstrated excellence in sport, arts and culture, and leadership in community-building endeavors. The induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th at the Meredith Centre.
“This program celebrates our community and its uniqueness both in terms of exceptional individual achievements in sports, arts and culture and the strength and quality of the voluntary sector that sustains and shapes our community,” said Fiona Duguid, President of the Chelsea Foundation. “We were thrilled with the response by the community with over 20 nominations received in the second year of the program.”
The nomination period ran from June 1st-30th. A distinguished panel of community leaders and experts carefully reviewed the nominations and selected the 2024 inductees. These individuals will have their names enshrined on the Chelsea Wall of Fame, a permanent display at the Meredith Centre that will serve as a reminder of their exceptional contributions and achievements.
The 2024 inductees are as follows:
Sport – Athletes
Dave Leduc
Mike Woods
Ray Zahab
Sport – Rising Star
Lily Kunstadt
Sport - Builder
Monica Dashwood
Arts & Culture
Dr. Carson Becke
Paula Murray
James Stephens
Ian Tamblyn
Community Builders
Dr. Nicole Bruinsma (posthumous)
Michelle Hegge
Stephen Woodley
Media Contact: Rick Traer, chelseaqc55@gmail.com
Chelsea Foundation wins Challenge Cup at the Tim Horton’s Ottawa Dragon Festival
The Chelsea Foundation participated in the Ottawa Dragon Boat Foundation’s Pledge Challenge Cup at the Tim Horton’s Ottawa Dragon Festival on the weekend of June 22th. The Foundation’s boat raised $2119 in donations and won the Challenge Cup community race.
Results of Chelsea Foundation AGM, May 28th.
The Chelsea Foundation held its Annual General Meeting on May 28th. The evening began with an inspiring presentation by Ray Zahab, ‘’Make the Impossible Possible’’. Ray described his various expeditions all over the world, and particularly his ultra marathon across the Sahara Desert. The evening continued with a presentation by the president of the Foundation’s accomplishments in 2023 and plans for 2024. The financial statements were presented. The Foundation and the Meredith Centre are in a good financial position. The evening finished by a presentation from the director general of the Meredith Centre and the election of board members. Thirty Chelsea residents were in attendance.
Chelsea Foundation AGM
2024 Chelsea Wall of Fame Nominations Process Now Open
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
Chelsea, June 5th, 2024: The Chelsea Foundation is pleased to announce that the nomination process for the 2024 Chelsea Wall of Fame is now open. Nominations will be accepted until June 30th. The program, officially launched in 2023, is designed to recognize those individuals who have demonstrated excellence in sport, cultural and community-building initiatives. The 2024 induction ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, October 26th at the Meredith Centre.
Nominations are open to the public, and all members of the Chelsea community are encouraged to participate by putting forth nominations. The process is simple and accessible through our official website [Chelsea Foundation], where you can submit nominations and read more about the selection criteria.
“The Chelsea Wall of Fame is a way to acknowledge the exceptional individual achievements in sports, the vibrancy of our arts and cultural community and members of the volunteer sector who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make Chelsea a better place for everyone,” said Rick Traer, Chair of the Chelsea Wall of Fame.
New for this year is the addition of a Rising Star category to recognize the exceptional success of young local athletes at the provincial, national and/or international level. In addition, the Community Builder category has been expanded to include individuals who have made a special long term and/or extraordinary contribution in the area of art, music, dance, film or other cultural activities.
A distinguished panel of community leaders and experts will carefully review the nominations and select the inductees. The chosen individuals will have their names enshrined on the Chelsea Wall of Fame, a permanent display at the Meredith Centre that will serve as a reminder of their exceptional contributions and achievements.
For more information and to submit nominations, please visit [Chelsea Foundation]. Stay connected with us on social media [@FondationChelsea] for updates and announcements.
For further information:
Rick Traer, Chair, Chelsea Wall of Fame
chelseaQC55@gmail.com
613-295-6388
About the Chelsea Wall of Fame:
The Chelsea Wall of Fame, an initiative of the Chelsea Foundation, is a program that recognizes and honors individuals who have made exceptional sport, cultural and community building contributions to the Chelsea community. By celebrating the achievements of local individuals, the Wall of Fame aims to inspire unity, community engagement, and a spirit of volunteerism. For more information, visit [Chelsea Foundation].
Chelsea Foundation Annual General Meeting 2024
May 28, 2024 – 7:00pm, Meredith Centre
You are cordially invited to the Chelsea Foundation AGM for 2024. The foundation is a non-profit charitable organization whose principal purpose is to promote sporting, recreational and socio-cultural activities in the municipality of Chelsea. One way to promote these activities is through the operation and management of the Meredith Centre and associated lands.
Ray Zahab will be the presenter at our third annual Dream Big presentation. You will also hear about the projects of the foundation and what is happening at the Meredith Centre. Snacks and refreshments will be served..
Ray Zahab is a Canadian Explorer, ultra distance runner and Founder of non-profit impossible2Possible. A recent recipient of the Meritorious Service Cross of Canada, Ray is an Explorer in Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society. In 2015 Canadian Geographic recognized Ray as one of Canada’s Top Explorers. He has ran 17,000+km across the world’s deserts, and unsupported expeditions in some of the coldest places on the planet.
If you plan on attending the AGM, Please RSVP by sending an email to info@chelseafoundation.ca by May 24th.
Important Documents
Become a member of our board of directors
Applications to become a member of the board of the Chelsea Foundation in 2024 are closed. The closing date was May 17th. A nominations committee is reviewing all nominations and recommending a slate of candidates to the AGM for its approval. Nominations may not come from the floor at the AGM.
The slates of candidates being recommended at the AGM for approval are: Jamie Collins, Lucie Labelle, Sylvie Menang, Gilles Montsion, Rick Traer and Louis Verret.
The Chelsea Foundation Board champions the importance of a healthy, inclusive and thriving Chelsea community and is committed to working as a team with the Municipality of Chelsea.
The Chelsea Foundation is committed to establishing a culturally diverse board of directors and strongly encourages applications from women, visible minorities, aboriginals and persons with disabilities.
Chelsea Foundation Lands - Agreement Reached
In 1998 a group of Chelsea residents saw the need to have dedicated community space in Chelsea and set out to form the Chelsea Foundation to make this dream a reality.
A volunteer-driven, door to door fundraising campaign was conducted to raise the money to acquire land. These collective resident actions started a process to realize the vision of community space and land - the hub for recreation activities in Chelsea. Within a short period of time over $150,000 was raised through the generosity of donors. A few years later the Meredith lands where the soccer fields and the Centre Meredith are located were acquired, in part due to a generous donation from the Meredith Family who believed in the vision of the founders of the Fondation Chelsea.
Mrs. Elizabeth Meredith wanted to see the lands remain as a community recreation space in perpetuity that families would enjoy for generations. The Fondation Chelsea is entrusted to maintain and grow the original vision for these lands and the legacy the Meredith family has left to the community.
Timelines & events
The creation of the Chelsea Foundation
Announcements
April 2024
CSSPO, Chelsea Municipality, and Chelsea Foundation Reach Compromise on School Location
Media articles
Le Droit: Un terrain de la discorde pour une école à Chelsea
Radio Canada: La construction d'une nouvelle école à Chelsea soulève du mécontentement
The Low Down: Chelsea Foundation fights back against municipal expropriation
The Low Down: Expropriating soccer fields ‘simply not right
The Low Down: Measuring contributions to Chelsea Foundation land
Le Droit: Terrain confirmé pour la nouvelle école primaire à Chelsea