Having spent more than two decades championing safe and affordable housing in Peterborough and beyond, Susan Zambonin is being recognized on a national stage.
The CEO of Habitat for Humanity Peterborough & Kawartha Region (Habitat PKR) has received the Terry Petkau Legacy Award – Outstanding Staff, the highest honour bestowed by Habitat for Humanity Canada.
Named in memory of Petkau, who was known as “the heart of Habitat,” the national award recognizes exceptional leadership, innovation, and dedication towards advancing affordable housing across Canada.
“I’m deeply honoured to receive the Terry Petkau Legacy Award,” Zambonin told kawarthaNOW. “This recognition is incredibly meaningful to me because it reflects the collective efforts of so many who believe in the power of decent, safe, affordable housing to transform lives.”
Habitat for Humanity Canada presented Zambonin with the award on May 16 at the national awards gala in Halifax, during the closing day of the 2025 Habitat Canada National Conference.
The ceremony included a tribute video that celebrated Zambonin’s impact, and contained messages from colleagues, volunteers, board members, and Habitat homeowners reflecting on her leadership and passion.
VIDEO: Susan Zambonin Wins National Habitat Canada Terry Petkau Legacy Award
Zambonin’s journey with Habitat began more than 20 years ago as a volunteer board member with Habitat Prince Edward Island. She has since gone on to lead three local Habitat affiliates — PEI, Kingston Limestone Region, and now Peterborough & Kawartha Region — “supporting more than 120 families on their paths to safe, decent, and affordable homeownership,” a media release noted.
“Susan is a force,” said Habitat PKR’s board of directors Hope Lee in a statement.
“She lives and breathes the mission of Habitat. Whether she’s wearing a blazer on Parliament Hill advocating for change, or a hard hat on a building site swinging a hammer, Susan shows up with purpose and passion. No job is too small, no challenge too big — and this award is a powerful recognition of the heart and grit she brings to everything she does.”
Under Zambonin’s leadership, Habitat PKR took on its most ambitious projects to date. The CEO was at the helm of the region’s first multi-residential build, a 53-unit condo on Leahy’s Lane in Peterborough, which is the largest development in the organization’s history.
She has also championed innovative construction methods, including 3D printing. Habitat PKR recently broke ground on its first 3D-printed home in Fraserville, which will soon provide a local family with a sustainable and affordable place to call home.
This summer, Habitat PKR will put shovels in the ground again for another build. In partnership with a Peterborough group called Our Daughters’ Home, Habitat PKR is working on an accessible duplex in Peterborough’s East City.
The home is being constructed to provide safe, supportive housing for seven women who have developmental disabilities and a live-in caregiver — “an important step in building housing that is inclusive, accessible, and community-focused,” the release noted.
“At Habitat PKR, we believe everyone deserves a safe, decent, and affordable place to live. Susan’s leadership continues to move that vision forward — one home, one family, and one bold innovation at a time.”
Habitat PKR is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to mobilize volunteers and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting affordable homeownership. Habitat gives a “hand-up, not a ‘hand-out” to lower-income families by offering no down payment and geared-to-income monthly payments. Since 2002, Habitat PKR has supported 96 local families into affordable homeownership.
