Barbara Haynes is the 2011 winner of the Sondra Kelly Award, presented by the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) Thursday night in Toronto.

The $6,000 prize is given to a female screenwriter in mid-career for research and development on a self-initiated project. The prize is sponsored by Actra Fraternal Benefit Society (AFBS) and the Kelly family.

Haynes will use her winnings towards the development of her TV series, Secretary Day, which the award’s jury described in a statement as “a fresh, sharply drawn, subversive comedy.”

Haynes is a comedy writer who has contributed to several Canadian television series, including What’s Up, Warthogs!, Wingin’ It and Naturally Sadie.

This year, she won a WGC Screenwriting Award for her script for The Latest Buzz, “The Extreme Shakespeare Issue.”

The Sondra Kelly Award, which honours founding member of the WGC Kelly and her screenwriting achievements, is in its third year.

Last year, the award went to filmmaker Mina Shum.