Georgie Awards® - Celebrating Excellence In Home Building

History

The Canadian Home Builders' Association of British Columbia's (CHBA BC) annual Georgie Awards® have been hugely successful at celebrating excellence in home building. 2010 will mark the 19th annual Georgie Awards®.

The Georgie Awards® was established in 1992 by a group of industry professionals who decided to start a housing awards program, not for economic benefit, but to provide value to the residential construction industry and communities throughout British Columbia. The awards were named after Captain George Vancouver, an officer in the British Royal Navy, who first entered the Straight of Juan de Fuca on April 29, 1792. Vancouver was the first European to enter Burrard Inlet, named after his friend Sir Harry Burrard (a British Member of Parliment), on June 13, 1792.

In 1992, entry into the awards was open to all builders, renovators and developers in the province of British Columbia. In 2001, in order to manage and strengthen the integrity of the program, the Georgie Awards® was changed to a CHBA BC members only recognition program.

Over the years, categories, criteria, price points and square footage for categories have changed and have been adjusted to keep pace with the housing market. In the last few years, there has been a strong consumer and industry demand for enhanced energy efficiency requirements in new homes and renovations. As a result, that requirement has not only been added as criteria to most categories, but specific categories have been created for the demand. As the years progress and the housing market continues to fluctuate, categories and criteria will be amended.