Business of the Year Award
Le prix de l'entreprise de l'année

Cabot Links, Inverness, Nova Scotia
Located on the northwest coast of Nova Scotia in the town of Inverness, Cabot Links is Canada’s first and only true links golf course. Lauded as a golfer’s paradise, the Rod Whitman design incorporates the rugged Nova Scotian landscape, dramatic seaside, undulating terrain and sandy soil, culminating in what SCOREGolf calls “Canada’s Next Great Golf Course.”

Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts, Calgary, Alberta
Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts (CRMR) is a family-owned company that has been in the tourism industry since 1986 when they first opened Emerald Lake Lodge. Consisting of three upscale boutique lodges - Buffalo Mountain Lodge, Emerald Lake Lodge and Deer Lodge - four unique contemporary restaurants, a game ranch, a specialty market called CRMR at Home as well as Painted Boat Resort & Spa on the Sunshine Coast of B.C., CRMR has hosted thousands of international, national and local visitors - as well as employed them.

Kingfisher Oceanside Resort & Spa, Courtenay, British Columbia
The Kingfisher Oceanside Resort is located on the Eastern Shores of Vancouver Island, BC. They offer guests a unique west coast experience. Opened in 1980 the resort has grown over the years adding a full service restaurant, spa and ocean view rooms overlooking Gartley Bay and the Coastal Mountain Range.

Delta Hotels in Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Here’s to the staff of the Delta Halifax and Barrington hotels for going above and beyond the call of duty to support Habitat for Humanity, Nova Scotia. They have created and branded an event that has become known as a truly out of the ordinary fundraiser and in 5 short years have built 5 homes, purchased the land for 4 sets of duplexes, retrofitted a men’s shelter and provided for legacies of $455K.

International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, District Council 39, Atlantic Provinces,
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades organization provided an outstanding service for both the visitors and residents of Nova Scotia; ensuring that an iconic attraction created the best possible first, and lasting, impression. Over 500,000 visitors annually come to see this iconic tourism asset. The Peggy’s Point Lighthouse at Peggy’s Cove is an integral element of Nova Scotia’s brand.

Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, British Columbia
The Vancouver Convention Centre is strongly committed to strengthening the health and vitality of the local community. While the facility is situated in the vibrant, downtown core, there are neighbouring areas that are economically depressed, in particular the Downtown Eastside. As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility program, they have partnered with several charities located in these neighbourhoods that are committed to supporting marginalized members of their community and stimulating growth and revitalization of the community.

Alicia Schwarz, Harbour Air Ltd., Vancouver, British Columbia
Alicia Schwarz, Vancouver base manager at Harbour Air Seaplanes is nominated for the outstanding work and dedication she demonstrates on a daily basis. Her positive attitude and passion for the industry are reflected in her work ethic and the way she manages her team and interacts with guests and peers alike. She is a dynamic and reliable individual who exemplifies Harbour Air’s values of Service, Safety, Integrity and Team Spirit.

Benoit Masson, Station Mont Tremblant, Mont Tremblant, Quebec 
Après avoir découvert l’industrie touristique en se joignant à la Station Mont Tremblant en 2004, Benoit Masson a rapidement mis à profit son expérience en service à la clientèle, ses aptitudes en communication et ses qualités de chef. De conseiller aux réservations, il a été promu Superviseur du centre d’appels en moins d’un an, avant de devenir Superviseur de la Billetterie puis Superviseur à la Production des ventes, poste qu’il occupe depuis septembre 2010.

Kareen Chambers,  Fairmont Winnipeg, Winnipeg, Manitoba
As a Reservations Agent at The Fairmont Winnipeg, Kareen is the first point of contact for guests, and she is constantly looking for opportunities to leave warm and lasting memories of the hotel and city. She is an expert at adding small thoughtful touches that exceed expectations, and also excels at the grand gestures that leave their guests wondering what else Winnipeg might have to offer.

Campus Tower Suite Hotel, Edmonton, Alberta
Campus Tower Suite Hotel provides 90 spacious modern suites. It has been the recipient of the AHLA Employer of Choice award for the last 4 years. The Hotel received the AHLA Housekeeping award, and a number of the Staff have been recognized for exceptional service through Tourism Edmonton’s “You’re Welcome Awards”. The Hotel is a 3 Diamond CAA/AAA property that has consistently received Guest Satisfaction Scores of 89% or above.

Gold Eagle Lodge, North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Gold Eagle Lodge is a limited service hotel that serves the Northwest Central Tourism region of Saskatchewan. They have made a commitment to their associates and their community to be ambassadors for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. They believe in their ability to provide a genuine hospitality experience for all their guests. Training plays a key role in staff development and with the support of Saskatchewan Tourism Education Council the Gold Eagle Lodge has become an industry leader and recipient of many awards.

Radisson Hotel Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The Radisson Hotel Saskatoon is a full service hotel that employs one hundred and eighty associates. The hotel prides itself on being truly invested in its associates providing a positive work culture where everyone feels that the Radisson team is their family. The hotel strongly believes in hiring right ensuring that all new hires meet at least nine of their ten hiring criteria.

Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver, British Columbia
Rocky Mountaineer has grown to become the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America. Rocky Mountaineer has won more international awards and accolades than any other premium rail service in the world. The company has firmly established itself as one of Canada’s iconic attractions. Rocky Mountaineer’s success is unmatched in the industry. Driving this growth are the people behind the company and their passion for the train journeys.

100th Grey Cup Festival, Toronto Argonauts Football Club, Toronto, Ontario
The 100th Grey Cup Festival was an Invitation to Our Nation that transcended “beer and football” that united Canadians from coast-to-coast in Toronto for a nine-day, ten-night festival which encompassed more than 50 events ranging from traditional team parties, galas and player awards to the Rushes Football Film Festival presented by Nolitours and family fun zones at great venues.

Dauphin's Countryfest, Travel Manitoba, Dauphin, Manitoba
Every July for over 20 years, Dauphin's Countryfest has organized what is now Canada's longest-running country music festival. The festival has sold out for the past 6 years, sold out in less than 12 hours in 2009 and 2010, and is attended by 14,000 visitors from across Canada and the US. Countryfest draws the biggest names in country music, but also features a diverse range of music.

Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
Consacré par le Guinness World Records comme le festival de jazz le plus important de la planète, le Festival International de Jazz de Montréal est, depuis 35 ans, synonyme de passion musicale. La métropole francophone d’Amérique devient ainsi chaque année, pendant une dizaine de jours, le lieu de rendez-vous des amateurs de toutes les musiques liées au jazz.

SnowDays, Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Banff, Alberta
Since 2012 Banff Lake Louise Tourism has partnered with Parks Canada and the Town of Banff to spearhead a huge winter festival in Banff National Park. SnowDays has quickly blossomed into a 30 day festival with over 360 individual events and activities. The festival, held mid-January to mid-February, draws on the rich mountain culture and history of winter festivals in Banff and inspires visitors from around the world to try new ways to play with winter in the Canadian Rockies.

Carcross Tagish Management Corp., TIA Yukon, Carcross, Yukon
The Carcross Tagish Management Corporation (CTMC) is the economic development branch of Carcross Tagish First Nation (CTFN), a self-governing First Nation in Yukon. CTMC looks for ways to advance the business potential that exists in the Carcross region and acts on behalf of the CTFN and its citizens in the areas of business development and economic sustainability. CMTC’s mandate has been working to build a private sector economy in Carcross that will create a sustainable flow of job and business opportunities – based primarily around tourism – for the community, citizens and region.

Edgewalk at the CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario
Standing proudly as a beacon for tourism to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Canada’s National Tower is a symbol of Canadian ingenuity boasting the world’s #1 elevator ride, breathtaking views, state of the art 3D theatre, shopping, internationally acclaimed dining and events. An extreme urban adventure, EdgeWalk is the newest addition to the Tower’s memorable experiences. EdgeWalk is the first new major attraction in Toronto in almost two decades, the first of its kind in North America and among the top attractions worldwide.

Le Massif de Charlevoix, Baie-Saint-Paul, Quebec
Le Massif de Charlevoix est une destination de villégiature quatre saisons née du désir de partager avec une clientèle curieuse, aventureuse et sensible au mieux-être de la planète. L’offre touristique se déploie sur trois pôles : l’Hôtel La Ferme, le plus urbain des hôtels de campagne; le Train qui propose 140 km de paysages exceptionnels entre fleuve et montagnes seulement accessibles par voie ferroviaire; et la Montagne, bien plus qu’un centre de ski, qui dispose d’activités uniques en Amérique du Nord, telle qu’une piste de luge de 7,5 km sur le plus haut dénivelé à l’Est des Rocheuses. Avec le souci de toujours faire les choses autrement, le Massif de Charlevoix propose une offre diversifiée et unique pour une vaste gamme de touristes et de budgets.

Parkbus, Transportation Options, Toronto, Ontario
Parkbus is a scheduled bus service network connecting Toronto and Ottawa to campgrounds, trailheads, canoe access points and private tourism operators in national and provincial parks. The regular service was launched in June 29, 2012, and runs in collaboration with Ontario Parks, Parks Canada and Mountain Equipment Co-op. Parkbus is a project of Transportation Options, a non-profit organization founded in 1992, and dedicated to fostering sustainable tourism and transportation in Ontario.

Lloyd Lake Lodge, Lloyd Lake, Saskatchewan
Since purchasing Lloyd Lake Lodge in January 2012, the owners have enhanced Saskatchewan’s visibility as a tourist destination by developing a strong and consistent brand across multiple social media platforms and working diligently to raise the profile of the lodge and, by extension, northern Saskatchewan. Through their online efforts, they became part of a team consisting of National Hockey League stars, an online fishing marketing company (National Prostaff), a fishing megastore (SAIL), and Canada’s premier hunting and fishing magazine (Outdoor Canada).

Tourism Calgary, Calgary, Alberta
On June 20th, hundreds of tourism businesses in Calgary were forced to close, millions of dollars were lost in tourism revenue as flood waters raged through the city’s neighborhoods and downtown. This was the worst flood in Alberta history. Tourism Calgary (and their advertising agency), were both completely displaced from their office, handicapped by a power outage and no email access – rallied a tourism community in a time of crisis to execute a $700K, three-week national marketing campaign, in only five days. This action taken by Calgary’s DMO was critical in mitigating any further losses taking back the control of the image of the city.

Tourism Sun Peaks, Sun Peaks, British Columbia
Tourism Sun Peaks’ strategy reflects the spirit and mandate of a DMO to coordinate tourism strategy and interests in the community. One of the motivators for the newly created Sun Peaks Mountain Resort Municipality was to access grants and funding only available to communities. These dollars could then be invested to drive incremental tourist revenues into the community. The partnership between the Municipality and Tourism Sun Peaks is regarded as a great success. It has generated enthusiasm within the community, and injected a significant amount of optimism and confidence for resort businesses.

Tourism Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
In June 2012 Tourism Toronto launched, Escape to Toronto, a summer marketing campaign in Ontario, upstate New York and Montreal. The initiative encouraged potential visitors to break out of their regular routine and enjoy a weekend of restaurants, shopping, events and attractions in Toronto. Packages and trip ideas were made available on the website. The 2012 Escape to Toronto campaign through its well-founded base in consumer research delivered outstanding consumer response and provided a strong platform on which they have built their 2013 traditional market campaign.

Tourism Whistler, Whistler, British Columbia
Representing one of the top mountain resorts in the world, Tourism Whistler strives to deliver world-class marketing campaigns that demonstrate leadership and innovation while ensuring they meet their strategic objectives. The Whistler Sabbatical Project was a multi-media campaign that was designed to be content driven and sought to entertain and deliver a story to the consumer. The strategic content that was developed and shared through the Whistler Sabbatical Project was what really set it apart from other campaigns to demonstrate outstanding tourism marketing.

Aboriginal Experiences, Ottawa, Ontario
Authenticity and award winning cultural exchange -- the Aboriginal cultural programming and artistic performances are developed and delivered by a talented community of Aboriginal artists. Proven success in planning and implementing Aboriginal cultural events, which are accessible to the general public, respectful of Aboriginal culture and protocol, the talented team of professional Aboriginal event planners are available to tackle all of the logistical, artistic and administration details. Partnerships with local and national level Aboriginal artists includes a current database of over 500 Aboriginal artists of all disciplines available for performances and events along with proven networks to discover and profile new talent.

Festival Zoofest, Bite Size Entertainment, Montreal, Quebec
Zoofest est un festival Montréalais bilingue, fondé en 2009, qui met de l’avant une programmation vouée à la découverte de talents émergents dans les milieux de l’humour, du théâtre, du conte, de la magie, de la musique, et plusieurs autres formes d’art et de divertissement. Depuis le début Zoofest est méritant de ce prix car ses missions sont d’offrir une plateforme de développement structurante à la relève artistique locale et internationale et de favoriser l’émergence de nouveaux artistes, et de futurs membres de l’industrie des arts de la scène pour favoriser l’émergence et le renouvellement d’un nouveau public (18-34 ans) avide de culture et d’arts vivants; mais surtout renforcer le positionnement du Quartier des spectacles et du centre-ville de Montréal sur la scène nationale et internationale.

Roosevelt Campobello International Park, New Brunswick Tourism, Campobello Island,
New Brunswick
Created to preserve the summer home of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Roosevelt Campobello International Park honours the legacy of friendship between Canada and the United States. The only International Park in the world, jointly owned/funded/operated by both countries, the park encompasses 2800 acres of natural beauty. Visitors can walk the many trails and sail the waters beloved by the Roosevelts and visit their cottage, preserved as it was in the early 1900s when the Roosevelts came to Campobello to escape the summer heat. In keeping with the spirit of international cooperation, the park is open to all, free of charge.

Anderson Vacations, Calgary, Alberta
When Anderson Vacations owner and CEO Corey Marshall took the family business over from his parents in the early 2000's, the well-respected and much loved tour company had built a reputation and a solid clientele in the senior leisure market. Since then, the organization has turned into a state-of-art tour operator business with a diversified product range that cover Canada’s many travel destinations from coast to coast and has continuously proven that entrepreneurial spirit, quality customer service, top notch communication and the ability to think outside the box are what set them apart from others in today’s tourism industry.

DuRepos B&B, Saint Quentin, New Brunswick
En 2001 Louise Durepos ouvre son Gite qui compte maintenant 5 chambres. Son hospitalité et service à la clientèle, lui ont fait une réputation internationale importante.  Elle reçoit des clients d’Europe, d’Asie, du Québec et du Nouveau-Brunswick. En 2012 Louise avec son conjoint débute une entreprise de produits dont le fameux champignon aux propriétés médicinales, le ‘’Chaga’’ maintenant certifié ‘’Kosher’’ une première. L’entreprise a reçu le Prix Marketing de l’Industrie Touristique AITNB 2013, le Prix de l’Entreprise Touristique du Restigouche 2012, et Louise a reçu le titre de Femme Entrepreneur 2012 de la part de la Chambre de Commerce de Saint-Quentin.

Experience PEI, Fernwood, PEI
Experience PEI is an experiential tourism business providing visitors to Prince Edward Island with an opportunity to participate in unique hands-on learning activities that allow them to connect with the Island by sharing the lives of interesting Islanders. Since its start in 2006, Experience PEI has become the leading provider of visitor experiences in Atlantic Canada and featured in the Canadian Tourism Commission video "Fulfilling Travellers Dreams Through Experiences" recognizing the company as a Canadian leader in experiential tourism product development.

Nunavut Tourism, Iqaluit, Nunavut
Working to build solid relationships, Nunavut Tourism (NT) has laid a strong foundation for its future. Tourism is one of the few economic activities that all Nunavut communities can participate in. Nunavut Tourism works with the industry to determine their needs for marketing, training, advocacy, etc. They exist to build a better tourism industry and serve their members. Nunavut's tourism industry is made up of many small operators spread over 1/5 of Canada's land mass. NT is very proud to serve this broad geography.

Banff Lake Louise Tourism, Banff, Alberta
Banff Lake Louise Tourism ran a contest campaign through a Facebook app, called ‘Break Into Banff’. The goal was to raise awareness about Banff’s winter playground in key markets, engage individuals repeatedly over the two-week campaign and to grow their Facebook audience. The contest asked users to answer a daily trivia question about Banff, and to enter a numerical code into the virtual safe. When the user answered the question correctly they were entered into the daily and grand prize draws.

Medicine Hat Accommodation Association, Medicine Hat, Alberta
The Medicine Hat Accommodation Association (MHAA) is a collaborative group of hotels working towards common interests of the hotel industry through a unified voice in Medicine Hat, Alberta. The organization develops and encourages joint marketing efforts to promote Medicine Hat as a premier travel destination. In 2013, the MHAA dedicated their marketing efforts to social media, developing a creative platform that leveraged key social media tools to cleverly showcase content celebrating Medicine Hat as a compelling tourism destination.

Ottawa Tourism, Ottawa, Ontario
Ottawa Tourism  wanted to grow their Facebook community while collecting User Generated Content (UGC) to augment their content needs. The objective was to find people who love Ottawa to generate compelling content to be compiled in a crowd sourced video to showcase Our Ottawa. The video was driven by passionate Ottawa fans, but the real success was how the community rallied to contribute and share their passion for Ottawa.

Tourism Richmond, Richmond, British Columbia
Tourism Richmond’s groundbreaking 365 Days of Dining campaign placed Richmond on the map as a West Coast foodie destination with some of the best Asian food outside of Asia. Creatively focused on the niche "foodie" market, the campaign results include coverage in 190 international media outlets, increasing in Facebook followers by over 63% (33% over our goal) and achieving over ½ million visits to the blog (40% over our goal). The campaign elevated Richmond to culinary destination status and, ultimately, increased visitors to Richmond, BC.

Bluewater Adventures, North Vancouver, British Columbia
37 years ago, Bluewater Adventures began introducing small travel groups to coastal British Columbia on a 68 foot sailboat. Today, Bluewater continues to provide hands-on experiences lead by skilled Crew and renowned Naturalists. On select trips, First Nations Elders are featured as onboard Resource People providing guests with intimate perspectives on culture and history. The Bluewater vision to educate people through experiential travel solidified the foundation on which Bluewater’s mission was built.

Chanterelle Country Inn and Cottages, Ltd., Baddeck, Nova Scotia
The Chanterelle property, situated on the Cabot Trail overlooking the estuary of St. Ann's Harbour and the North River, provides fixed-roof accommodations for travelers to Cape Breton Island. Since its inception, the Chanterelle has been dedicated to providing a green environment, beginning with the design of the Inn, which eliminates the need for air-conditioning, the installation of solar panels and a wind turbine for energy. Its everyday practices include the local sourcing of food ingredients, pre-cycling, re-cycling, and composting.

Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Great Wolf Lodge is a world class, 406 suite resort destination, unlike any other family entertainment venue in Canada. The Lodge is themed in a Northwoods style and has a natural connection to the environment. Great Wolf Lodge is committed to conserving resources through the Project Green Wolf program, which promotes the protection and preservation of natural resources and engages both Pack Members and visitors. The program launched in 2006, but has never remained static. The Project Green Wolf current areas of focus: Energy and Water Conservation, Pollution Prevention, Resource Conservation and Environmental Management

Terry Wilkinson, Ceaser Lake Outfitters, Watson Lake, Yukon
Since 1983 Terry and Ruth Wilkinson have owned and operated Ceaser Lake Outfitters of Watson Lake area. It is a family run operation that has welcomed visitors from around the world, many as repeat clients. They employ family and local residents that are as close as family. Terry has been a dedicated hunter and conservationist that always champions wilderness tourism sustainability practices. Sustainability is the most dominant factor in outfitting and Terry has excelled at responsible, renewable and sustainable management of the wildlife in his concession. His personal values reflect the definition of conservation as defined in the Yukon First Nation Final Agreements.

Canadian River Expeditions, Whitehorse, Yukon
Canadian River Expeditions offers wilderness tourism adventures in northern Canada’s vast, pristine natural wilderness. They believe that their guest’s experience is built around this unparalleled wilderness, but the journey starts while researching and booking a trip and does not end until the flight home. The company is committed to ensuring all segments of their business match the high standards set by the adventure itself.

Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Great Wolf Lodge is a world class, 406 suite resort destination, unlike any other family entertainment venue in Canada. The Lodge is themed in a Northwoods Cabin style and has a 100 000 sq. ft. waterpark, MagiQuest live adventures, a Spa for adults and kids, restaurants, an arcade and mini golf. They WOW the senses – with unique dynamic family programming and special events. Great Wolf Lodge is one of the few places that is legitimately exciting for everyone. Just look at the face of a parent and child going down a Great Wolf waterslide: those crazy smiles are totally identical.

Heritage Park Historical Village, Calgary, Alberta
Heritage Park Historical Village, Canada’s largest living history museum is a year-round attraction, entertainment, education, heritage preservation and banquet facility. Selected as a Canadian Tourism Commission Signature Experience in 2011, the Park has 179 exhibits, including a culturally significant collection of 50,000 artifacts, antique vehicles and memorabilia, offering visitors a total living immersion experience into the history of Western Canada. The Park employs 759 staff at peak season and has a business philosophy that focuses and promotes service excellence.