At our Civic Recognition evening - spring edition yesterday (June 24), I was very excited to present Dan Lawrie and the Spoons each with a Burlington Key to the City!

The presentation was held in Council Chambers at City Hall and was part of the City of Burlington's inaugural Civic Recognition initiative, honouring and celebrating some of the individual and group volunteers who help make Burlington a better place and community. The Civic Recognition will be awarded twice each year, in the spring and fall.

This year's spring honourees include: Burlington Historical Society, Connie Price, Helga Cuddy, Jamie Fisher, Janet Lucas, Kimberly Calderbank, Peter Knoepfli, and Rural Ward 6 Advisory Committee.

Read more about the June 2024 Key to the City recipients below.

Dan Lawrie (June 2024)

Burlington's Dan Lawrie is the mind behind the International Sculpture Collection at the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) that added works of internationally-renowned artists to Hendrie Park. He is also the mind behind the Burlington Waterfront Sculpture Trail, now in its third season, that brings works of Canadian artists and stages them in the downtown core and with the backdrop of our waterfront in a free and accessible way for the community to enjoy.

Dan has made significant contributions to the local business and arts communities. He is the founder and chair of the Lawrie Insurance Group that has operated in Burlington and Hamilton for more than 40 years. He is also on the board of the Art Gallery of Burlington; a supporter of the annual Telling Tales Festival at the RBG; authored his first children's book in 2023 (Herman's High-Flying Adventure: A Seagull's Tale, based on an old poem he had written); and been a big fundraiser for the community over the years, including the Burlington Museums Foundation.

Spoons (June 2024)

With their origins in Burlington, Spoons helped put Canada on the music world map garnering international attention with their unique progressive rock sound in the early 1980s and with their ground-breaking hits Nova Heart (one of the first music videos airing on the first episode of MuchMusic) and Romantic Traffic.

Vocalist/guitarist Gordon Deppe and vocalist/bassist Sandy Horne founded Spoons in 1979, while the pair attended Aldershot High School. They would add keyboardist Rob Preuss and drummer Derrick Ross to release their first album Stick Figure Neighbourhood in 1981 based on life growing up in Burlington. But it was their album Arias and Symphonies, released in 1982, that would launch them on a series of national and international tours, record deals and album releases. Over the years, their membership would change and include Chris McNeill, Scott MacDonald, Brett Wickens, Peter Shepherd, Steve Kendry, Casey MQ, Steve Sweeney and Colin Cripps.

Never forgetting their roots, Spoons have returned to perform in Burlington, including at our popular Sound of Music Festival and a charity concert in 2015 to help fundraise for the new Aldershot High School theatre. Most recently, they also took the stage at Burlington’s 2023 Canada Day celebrations, even inviting Mayor Marianne Meed Ward to come onstage and sing with them.

About Burlington’s Key to the City

Designed and created by local stained glass artist Teresa Seaton, the multi-coloured glass key incorporates elements of Burlington’s natural landscape and the City crest, all within the shape of our well-known blue city clock that stands proudly outside City Hall as a gift from our twin city, Itabashi, Japan. The key is housed in a textured glass box that adds to the timeless beauty of this work of art. Burlington’s Key to the City program was launched in 2019 by Mayor Marianne Meed Ward.

Related Links

Spoons & Dan Lawrie are June 2024 Burlington Key to the City Recipients

Itabashi, Japan Mayor & Official Delegation Visiting Burlington as part of Ongoing 35-Year Twinning Tradition

Civic Recognition Recipients Honoured by City Council for Exemplary Volunteer Work