[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/mccarry.jpg” caption=”Brian McCarrry. Photo credit: Glenn Lawson”]Brian McCarry, McMaster chemistry professor and chair of Clean Air Hamilton, was awarded a silver community award at a Canadian Environment Awards ceremony last night at Toronto's historic Liberty Grand.

The fourth Canadian Environment Awards is a national program that celebrates the commitment of Canadians who are acting locally to help protect, preserve and restore the country's environment. The centrepiece of the Canadian Environment Awards is the Community Awards, which honours individuals and groups of Canadians chosen from more than 150 nominations submitted by the Canadian public. Gold and silver winners in six categories were announced.

The Canadian Environment Awards is a partnership between the Government of Canada and Canadian Geographic Enterprises, which is the managing partner and publisher of the digest-sized awards magazine.

McCarry, who also was recently named the 26th recipient of the Dr. Victor Cecilioni Hamilton Environmentalist of the Year Award from the City of Hamilton, is a well-known figure in the city's clean-air movement.

He is the chair of Clean Air Hamilton (CAH), a multistakeholder group which has gained such credibility since its origin in 1995 that it advises the Hamilton City Council. Through science-based research, conferences, monitoring programs and educational campaigns, CAH reaches out to citizens, government policy-makers and industry to help reduce the city's production of combustion and industrial emissions and influence sustainable urban design.

(With files from Canadian Geographic)