FANSHAWE CONSERVATION AREA WINS 2026 COMMUNITY SPIRIT AWARD
OUTDOOR TREASURE BETTERS LIVES THROUGH SPORTS, LEISURE, RECREATION
Photo (L-R) Fanshawe conservation areas coordinator Damian Schofield, visitor experience specialist Holleigh Baldwin, superintendent Jay Ebel and LondonOntarioSports.com publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed.
January 7, 2026 (London, ONT) – LondonOntarioSports.com (est. 2015), London’s Trusted Source for Sports News & Information, announces Fanshawe Conservation Area as winner of the 2026 LondonOntarioSports.com Community Spirit Award.
Est. 2025, the Community Spirit Award recognizes Southwestern Ontario individuals and groups who change and better the lives of others through sports, leisure and recreation. SARI Therapeutic Riding in Arva captured the inaugural LondonOntarioSports.com Community Spirit Award in 2025.
An oasis resting within the extreme northeast corner of London, Fanshawe Conservation Area is operated by the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA), one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario. Accessible through its main entrance at 1424 Clarke Road, Fanshawe CA is home to the Thames River, Fanshawe Dam (opened in 1952), its hydroelectric plant and the man-made Fanshawe Lake; 30 KM of walking trails – the Tamarack, Meadow and Pond hiking trails, plus 21-KM Fanshawe Lake trail; 20 KM of biking trails; fishing; boating and sailing; bird watching; Fanshawe Campground; picnic areas and playgrounds; and Fanshawe Pioneer Village.
“I know first-hand how Fanshawe CA betters and changes the lives of Londoners,” said LondonOntarioSports.com publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed. “As a youngster growing up in London’s Huron Heights neighbourhood, I spent most of my teenage years with friends and most of my leisure time at the conservation area, where I enjoyed a number of outdoor activities – all of which provided me with a healthy lifestyle, plus appreciation of and respect for the land.
“At Fanshawe CA, I fished at Fanshawe Dam and Fanshawe Lake, and played pond hockey there during the winter months in the late-1970s; camped, boated, swam, hiked and bicycled; flew kites; ran high school cross country races; enjoyed family barbecues and picnics; and frequently visited Fanshawe Pioner Village where I learned about local history. I even attended the Forest City International CB Jamboree at Fanshawe Conservation Area in 1977 when radio enthusiasts from across North America visited London.
“During the 1990s, I enjoyed time on Fanshawe Lake with our Olympic Rowing Team at their High Performance Rowing Centre, taking photos of the squads before international competitions. I spent much of my youth golfing at the adjacent Fanshawe Golf Course. Fanshawe CA has been a huge part of my life – perhaps larger than any other influence. It changed and bettered my life, just like countless others. It’s a local treasure and much deserved of the Community Spirit Award,” Reed said.
Photo: Fanshawe Conservation Area.
In total, Fanshawe Conservation Area spans about 2,000 acres and is home to four full-time staff and 31 part-time/seasonal employees. The Fanshawe Outdoor Education Centre is a hub of environmental knowledge for school groups, as well as Brownies, Guides, Cubs, Scouts and 4H during most of the year.
The London & Middlesex Heritage Museum is a non-for-profit (registered charity) that owns and operates the open-air museum known as, Fanshawe Pioneer Village – a collection of over 30 heritage buildings and structures that help tell the stories of rural communities in the former townships of Westminster, London, North Dorchester, Delaware, West Nissouri and Lobo in Middlesex County from 1820-1920. The museum opened in 1959, and has grown significantly since its initial four buildings. In addition to the Heritage Village, the museum’s Spriet Family Visitor Centre holds offices, collection space, a resource library and the Trillium Community Gallery, where seasonal exhibits and events are held each year.
Of course, Fanshawe Dam is the most visible element of Fanshawe CA. Severe floods in London in 1883, and in particular in 1937, spurred a need for the dam, which has reduced damages from significant floods at least a dozen times during the past 50 years. The hydroelectric plant at the dam’s base generates enough power to run 400 households. The crest of the dam is 625 metres long. It is 30.5 metres in height and drops the river surface 12 metres.
Fanshawe Conservation Area, looking south towards the dam. Photo: Fanshawe Conservation Area.
“The team at Fanshawe CA is honoured to have received the LondonOntarioSports.com Community Spirit Award,” said Superintendent Jay Ebel. “We are one of three conservation areas that the UTRCA owns and operates in the watershed. We pride ourselves on being a welcoming space for all, including residents of London and visitors from further away. UTRCA aims to reach people with its conservation messaging and Fanshawe CA is a perfect venue for people to foster and share their love of nature.
“We’ve seen the positive impact Fanshawe CA has on individuals and groups by providing sports, leisure and recreation to visitors, and we greatly appreciate being recognized for our efforts,” Ebel added.
Reed added, “It is so important now to recognize the positive impact Fanshawe Conservation Area continues to make on our community. The Province’s plan to amalgamate 36 conservation authorities into seven would see our eight area authorities merged into one authority: the Lake Erie Regional Conservation Authority. It is important, then, to realize the unique complexity and offerings of Fanshawe Conservation Authority. It truly is a local natural gem.”
LondonOntarioSports.com will honour Fanshawe Conservation Area with the 2nd Annual Community Spirit Award on Friday, April 17 at RiverBend Golf Community. Ticket sales will be available soon – watch LondonOntarioSports.com and its social media platforms for details.
LondonOntarioSports.com Community Spirit Award Winners
2025 SARI Therapeutic Riding
2026 Fanshawe Conservation Area
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For more information and images, please contact:
Jeffrey Reed, Publisher & Editor, LondonOntarioSports.com 519/643-6334 jeff@londonontariosports.com
Emily Chandler, Communications & Marketing Specialist, Fanshawe Conservation Area
519/451-2800 ext. 275 chandlere@thamesriver.ca
About LondonOntarioSports.com
Est. 2015, LondonOntarioSports.com – London’s Trusted Source for Sports News & Information – is a project from publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed, senior member of the Southwestern Ontario sports media. Since 1980, Reed’s byline, play-by-play voice and photography have helped him capture nine awards for sports journalism excellence. A much in-demand public speaker and three-time author, Reed is a disabled athlete who coached and pitched with the Intercounty Baseball League London Majors, and later worked as a golf professional and brand ambassador. Since its launch, LondonOntarioSports.com has been home to LondonOntarioGolf.com (est. 2004), the Voice of Golf in Southwestern Ontario.
