VALENCIA, Calif., Sept 20, 2022 - The Sixth Annual Samuel Cunard Prize for Vision, Courage and Creativity was awarded to Scott Armour McCrea on Friday, September 16 at the International Congress of Maritime Museums' gala event at the Juno Tower in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
McCrea was joined by local dignitaries and members of the Congress, who have come together from around the world to mark the 50th Anniversary of the International Congress of Maritime Museums. The ICMM engages an international community of museum directors and executive leaders from the maritime world to celebrate innovation in a global marine sector – exploring topics from maritime heritage to the changing and diverse connections with the sea.
"This award was inaugurated in 2015 to celebrate Cunard's 175th Anniversary in the ancestral home of its founder Sir Samuel Cunard. Created in partnership with the Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and Cunard, the award acknowledges an extraordinary individual who demonstrates the qualities exemplified by Samuel Cunard throughout his life," said Matt Gleaves, vice president of Commercial for Cunard in North America and Australasia. "We congratulate Mr. McCrea on being our sixth Samuel Cunard Prize Award recipient and for exemplifying the qualities for which the award was created."
"We are awarding the Samuel Cunard Prize for Vision, Courage and Creativity to Mr. McCrea because of the way he demonstrated Sir Samuel Cunard's characteristics throughout the development of his transformational project, Queen's Marque," said John Hennigar-Shuh, President at Canadian Maritime Heritage Foundation. "Through Scott's creative vision, the Queen's Marque transcends the ordinary and has become a striking physical poem to the profound relationship between our community, Halifax Harbour, and the ocean. I consider Queen's Marque an urban developer's master work that would have excited Samuel Cunard, were he alive today."
Queen's Marque is a new urban district on the historic waterfront, in the heart of downtown Halifax. It features over 140 luxury leased residences, office and retail space, food and beverage, 75,000 square feet of public space, a multimillion-dollar public art collection and Muir, a distinctly Nova Scotian hotel experience. Every feature of Queen's Marque, from architecture and materials to art curation, offers a distinct sense of place, reflecting the character and culture of the region.
"The power of the sea and its role in place is physically embodied in all aspects of Queen's Marque" said Scott Armour McCrea. "I am honoured to receive Samuel Cunard's namesake award for helping to build the economy and community in his birthplace of Halifax."
As the Chief Executive Officer of The Armour Group Limited, Mr. McCrea leads one of Atlantic Canada's largest fully integrated real estate and investment concerns. A lifelong Haligonian, Mr. McCrea's deep-rooted understanding of the enduring impact of real estate development on communities comes naturally to him. He is the second generation to direct The Armour Group Limited, a family-held company whose roots in Halifax are anchored to the integration of the ownership, construction, and management of their properties, which include many of the city's historic and traditional spaces. McCrea's accomplishments have led him to be the recipient of several awards including Canada's Top 40 under 40, Halifax's Business Person of the Year, and one of Atlantic Canada's Top 50 CEOs.