Past News & Events

2001 GTA International Marketing Awards of Excellence

GTMA PARTNER RECOGNITION AWARDS

PRIVATE SECTOR, SMALL ENTERPRISE

Eloqua Corporation

Eloqua Corporation, whose premier product is the EloquaNow Web Sales Centre, a suite of hosted, real-time applications for qualifying and developing prospects, is a software developer focused on applications that leverage the Internet to acquire customers and build relationships.

Eloqua Corporation exemplifies the best in active partnership with the GTMA in promoting the GTA abroad. Eloqua participated with the GTMA in the International Business Mission to Silicon Valley last September, only weeks after the tragic events in New York on September 11. They are also responsible for the new design of the GTA Hotnews which most of you probably receive monthly and for which the GTMA has received numerous accolades.

PRIVATE SECTOR, MEDIUM ENTERPRISE

Green and Spiegel Barristers & Solicitors

Offering a wide range of services to its clients, Green and Spiegel Barristers & Solicitors is a full service law firm, and Canada's largest immigration law practice. The firm regularly represents many multinational corporations and, on their behalf, assists in the movement of key personnel to and from Canada. An important facet of the firm's work is the movement of businesspersons, including investors, entrepreneurs, and the self-employed to Canada. The firm also advises clients on a full range of other immigration matters including independent and family immigration, student and employment authorizations, and other matters relating to the entry of persons into Canada as well as the US.

Green and Spiegel Barristers & Solicitors was selected for this award because of their on-going support and assistance to the GTMA, both internationally and at home helping to attract investment to the GTA. Stephen Green has participated in several international business missions including those to Silicon Valley and New York City as well as acted as a constant business ambassador for the region during his personal business travels abroad. At home, Stephen has also helped the GTMA in numerous client meetings.

PRIVATE SECTOR, LARGE ENTERPRISE

CIBC

CIBC is a full service Canadian financial institution operating on a global basis. The company is comprised of two strategic business units: Personal and Commercial Banking and CIBC World Markets. CIBC is a Schedule 1 chartered bank subject to the provisions of the Bank Act of Canada.

CIBC was selected for this award because of their on-going support and assistance to the GTMA. In addition to their board participation, helping to guide the GTMA's international activities, CIBC has been a leader among the banking community to promote the international initiatives of the GTMA as well as having helped the GTMA in numerous local client meetings, attracting investment to the GTA.

INSTITUTION

Centennial College of Applied Arts & Technology

Established in 1966, Centennial College is Ontario's first community College, primarily serving the eastern portion of the Greater Toronto Area through four campuses and two satellite locations. Its record is one of exemplary teaching, innovative programming and extensive partnership building. Recognized as one of the most culturally diverse post-secondary institutions in Canada, almost 100 ethno cultural groups are represented and 80 languages are spoken on campus.

Centennial is committed to broad public access and successful career education. It offers more than 80 diploma and certificate programs on a full and part-time basis in business, communication arts, community and consumer services, engineering technology, health sciences, and transportation. Centennial enrolled 12,000 full-time students and 30,000 part-time learners in 2001. Centennial College exemplifies the best in partnership in the institutional category for the year 2001. They actively supported the GTMA in local client meetings; on the Call Centre Task Force which produced the new GTA Call Centre Study, which identified nearly 2,900 call centres in the GTA. Centennial College was also very active in helping to create eBiz Toronto, which the GTMA supported as well.

ASSOCIATION (CO-AWARD)

SMART Toronto

SMART Toronto is a leadership organization representing the economic interests of Toronto's technology community, and is a principal catalyst to promote the global competitiveness of the region. SMART Toronto builds bridges between people, organizations and ideas to drive business and community growth and innovation. SMART Toronto provides a variety of innovative forums at which senior decision-makers can meet, discuss and formulate action on the technology issues of importance to Toronto and the surrounding region.

SMART Toronto actively worked with the GTMA in numerous projects undertaken by the GTMA such as the Deloitte & Touche GTA-wide IT&T Study. In 2001, SMART Toronto helped to host GTMA's delegations from Washington DC and Silicon Valley. SMART Toronto also participated with the GTMA in its business delegation to NYC last June, in which the group met numerous business contacts. SMART Toronto has also participated with the GTMA at an international conference on smart communities in Virginia last year, promoting the competitive advantages of the GTA as Canada's SMART Community, the tag line of the aforementioned Deloitte & Touche Study. And this is only the beginning. With new leadership and a reinvigorated outlook, SMART Toronto and the GTMA look to become even greater partners in the years ahead.

eBiz Toronto

eBiz Toronto is dedicated to accelerating the adoption of eBusiness in the GTA for the purpose of ensuring Greater Toronto's global competitiveness. Established out of a shared concern about Canada's relatively slow pace of e-Business adoption, eBiz Toronto is an independent, not for profit, member-based organization that takes the role of visionary and storyteller in the promotion and growth of e-Business within the GTA. It also helps to promote the GTA internationally as a superb centre of e-commerce.

eBiz Toronto has helped the GTMA to promote the GTA abroad in its participation in the NYC business mission focused on e-commerce. eBiz Toronto also spoke at the NY New Media Association promoting the GTA and locally has participated in events to promote the GTA's e-commerce advantages to delegations from the USA and abroad.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Group Telecom

Group Telecom is Canada's largest independent, facilities-based telecommunications provider which has a national fibre-optic network and operates with local offices in 17 markets across nine provinces in Canada. Group Telecom offers next-generation high-speed data, Internet, application and voice services, delivering enhanced communication solutions to Canadian businesses.

Group Telecom has been very active with the GTMA in the past year. It has participated in its business missions and met with delegations and journalists coming to the GTA to promote the competitive advantages of the GTA and to boast its IT and telecommunications infrastructure and services in the region. But the judges felt that their support by parting with their beloved "data moose" (which resided on the 10th floor of Waterpark Place in Toronto) so that the GTMA could promote the Toronto area in Silicon Valley with it, was the supreme sacrifice of our supporters in 2001.

MANUFACTURING

Giffels Enterprises Inc.

Giffels Enterprises Inc. is a contracting and development company focused on industrial facilities, process plants, and office complexes across Canada.

With its special expertise, Giffels helped the GTMA in dealing with manufacturing prospects during the past year. Drawing on the skills of its associated companies, Giffels provides complete engineering and architectural services making it one of the best sources of turnkey projects in Canada, which is highly useful for new businesses coming into the GTA.

BIOTECH

University of Toronto at Mississauga

The Master of Biotechnology Program at the University of Toronto at Mississauga was launched in May of 2001. This Program is unique in Canada and one of the few professional biotechnology degree programs in North America. The program combines cutting edge science courses with key management courses, and work term placements in local industry, to produce a well rounded graduate for careers in the Biotechnology and Biopharm industries. The students participate in a seminar series sponsored by AstraZeneca Canada Inc, and perform experiments in the GlaxoSmithKline Biotechnology Laboratory at UTM. Merck Frosst set up the first endowed scholarship, and AstraZeneca Canada Inc. has funded an Ontario Graduate endowed scholarship. Professor Horgen and Professor Ullrich Krull, the AstraZeneca Chair in Biotechnology, established an Advisory Board with representatives from Foragen Ventures Inc., MDS Proteomics, Pioneer Hi-Bred, Maxxam Analytics, AstraZeneca Canada Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, SAS Institute, and the Innovations Foundation of the University of Toronto.

The GTMA uses the UTM program in its international promotion and wishes to celebrate and recognize their contribution in developing the biotechnology professionals which helps to make the GTA such a competitive environment today in this cluster.

AUTOMOTIVE

Scotiabank

Scotiabank is Canada's most international bank. Its 41,000 employees provide a complete range of retail, commercial, corporate, investment, and international banking services through more than 1,600 branches and offices in over 50 countries.

Scotiabank is an active promoter of the GTA's automotive sector and has helped the GTMA in the past to launch its GTA Manufacturing Study as well as helped to provide data for the industry brochures and for clients coming to the GTA to invest in the automotive sector.

CALL CENTRES

AT&T Canada

AT&T Canada is the country's largest competitive national broadband business services provider and competitive local exchange carrier. AT&T Canada provides a full range of integrated communications products and services including World-class Contact Centre, Data, Internet, Web-hosting and E-business capabilities helping businesses compete locally, nationally, and globally.

AT&T Canada has worked closely with the GTMA in the launch of the GTA Call Centre Study and has sponsored its related event. In addition to the financial support, it received strong customer testimonials from North American call centres with presence in the GTA. It also participated in the development of the GTA Call Centre Committee and remains active with the GTMA in the promotion of the call centre industry in the GTA.

PRESS/MEDIA

Canadian Business Magazine

Examining the implications of the latest business events, Canadian Business delivers forward-looking insight into what will happen next-alerting corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators to investment possibilities, career opportunities and technological innovations. Unmatched in its ability to provide readers with the insight they need to make the most informed management decisions, Canadian Business, published every second Monday (except January and July), is Canada's Business Newsmagazine.

Canadian Business magazine has been a supporter of the GTMA from its first business mission to Silicon Valley, along with its sister publication, Profit Magazine. Not only did its publisher participate in the mission, but the magazine continued to support the GTMA in its initiatives such as coming on as the media sponsor in last year's award's program and promoting GTMA's and eBiz Toronto's information in the publication whenever an opportunity presented itself.

LEAD GENERATION, PUBLIC SECTOR

Economic Commission of the Embassy of France

The role of the Economic Commission of the Embassy of France is to assist companies from France in their efforts to locate business partners in Canada, to promote French investments in Canada and technology transfers to Canadian companies. It also attempts to encourage Canadian investments in France.

The strategic alliance that has built up between the GTMA and the Economic Commission in Toronto of The French Embassy has become quite strong. The GTMA helped in their efforts to launch the North American French Industrial Club's main event in the GTA last year, along with the province of Ontario and the federal government, but equally, the economic commission in Toronto of the French embassy has been quite supportive of the GTMA. Last year the economic commission, and its counterpart in Detroit, helped by referring leads to the GTMA which have since been successful. It has linked the GTMA with business delegations coming to the region looking to invest and has indicated future assistance in the GTMA's efforts to mount its planned business mission to Europe this coming October, part of which will take place in France.

LEAD GENERATION, PRIVATE SECTOR

The Toronto Board of Trade

The Toronto Board of Trade is the champion of a competitive and vibrant Toronto. Its mandate is to contribute directly to their members' success by acting as a dynamic business catalyst and providing innovative and valuable business tools.

The Toronto Board of Trade is Canada's largest local chamber of commerce, with over 9,000 members throughout the Greater Toronto Area.

The Toronto Board of Trade helped to create the GTMA four years ago and has actively promoted its efforts from the beginning. As the GTMA's capabilities matured, The Board of Trade began to send international leads to the GTMA.

PUBLIC SECTOR (CO-AWARD)

City of Toronto

Toronto, Canada's corporate capital is home to over 85,000 businesses - the most of any Canadian city. Virtually all of the world's cultural groups can be found in Toronto, a city where its 2.5 million residents speak more than 100 languages and dialects on any given day.

With more than 25 major performing arts and cultural festivals, sporting events and lifestyle shows scheduled to take place in 2002, as well as hundreds of street fairs and community festivals in our diverse neighbourhoods, Toronto is indeed Canada's City of Festivals.

The City's efforts are being celebrated today for their continuous support of the GTMA from its origins through to its efforts last year in promoting the GTA abroad. Specifically, through participation in the NYC Mission, support of plans for the Silicon Valley Mission, and various task forces and sector committees as well as assistance in several client services activities, the City of Toronto has helped in successfully attracting new investment to the Toronto area.

Town of Richmond Hill

The Town of Richmond Hill is Canada's fastest "large" municipality with a residential population of 125,000. The Richmond Hill economy is both highly entrepreneurial and export driven. Major sectors include information technology and telecommunications, biotechnology and healthcare, printing and publishing and automotive The municipality is home to more than 3500 businesses and two dozen Canadian headquarters including Compaq, Compugen Systems, Epson, Levi Strauss, Novex Pharma and Black&Decker.

The Town of Richmond Hill has also been extraordinarily supportive of the international marketing efforts of the GTMA by actively participating in numerous international business missions, such as to NYC and to San Francisco; chairing the GTMA's international marketing planning committee and variously helping to promote and support the GTMA's client services efforts.

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GTA MISSION SUPPORT

AMJ Campbell Inc.

AMJ Campbell is all about moves. Established in 1934, AMJ Campbell has become one of Canada's most successful moving companies. AMJ Campbell Van Lines is Canada's largest coast to coast moving company with 48 branches serving household, office and International moves - AMJ Campbell Van Lines are also very proud to be the Official Mover of Canada's Olympic teams and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

AMJ Campbell was approached to assist the GTMA in transporting Group Telecom's "data moose" to California. They agreed to do this gladly, but first they had to get the 8 ft by 10 ft moose out of 10th floor of Waterpark Place in Toronto, where it was occupied in the offices of Group Telecom. Imagine the logistics that this required! Unfortunately, the moose had to have its legs cut off and repaired to even get it onto the elevator. Then it was transported through the United States and delivered to the Canadian Consulate in San Jose. AMJ Campbell later joined the GTA delegation to unveil it at an event at the San Jose Museum of Art. AMJ Campbell has been supportive of the GTMA's international efforts to promote the GTA ever since.

GTMA PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP

Gowling is one of the largest and most diversified law firms in Canada with approximately 700 lawyers and patent and trademark agents. Beginning as a two-person partnership in Ottawa more than 100 years ago, Gowling has grown to include nine offices across Canada and one in Moscow, with the firm's Managing Partner based in Toronto.

Through a recent merger with a leading Toronto law firm, Smith Lyons, Gowling has enhanced its position as one of the premier national business and technology law firms in the country.

This is the top partner recognition award for the year for a private sector organization, which contributed the most to the promotion of the GTA and the growth and stability of the GTMA. Gowling has supported the GTMA's efforts to promote the GTA internationally, actively assisted the GTMA in its efforts to attract investment to the GTA, and has tirelessly sought ways to provide the GTMA with the necessary resources to move forward as an organization.

GTA INVESTMENT ATTRACTION AWARDS

OAO Technology Solutions Inc.

OAO Technology Solutions, Inc. (OAOT) is a customer-focused provider of Application Outsourcing Services, leveraging today's technology for its clients' success. OAOT has a unique value proposition of delivering benefits-driven solutions by first assessing client's needs, applications, environment, risks/rewards and only then putting together a winning solution. Through its Northshore Solution, OAOT is also able to leverage its Canadian delivery centres, to provide clients with the maximum return on their investment. With more than 2,400 employees 800 in Canada - in 200 locations, OAOT brings extensive knowledge on managing both custom and packaged applications.

PennCorp Life Insurance Company

PennCorp Life Insurance Company specializes in disability and accident insurance products for the self-employed and its products have been sold in Canada since 1971.

In 1999, it was sold to Universal American Financial Corporation, a U.S. based insurance holding company. Since joining the UAFC family of companies PennCorp took on greater and greater responsibilities for the administration of policies sold by their sister companies. As a result, PennCorp grew its operations and instead of moving its operations away from the GTA, they moved to a brand new, purpose built facility within the City of Mississauga, their acknowledged preferred home.

Flachsmann Canada Ltd.

Stemming from a 60-year success story in Europe, the company has prospered throughout the world with customers on five continents. Recently, Flachsmann Flavors and Extracts, Switzerland entrenched its commitment to the North American market with major investment in new state-of-the-art facilities in Brampton, Canada. With an expertise in both extracts and flavors, Flachsmann is unique. This capability to provide customers with pure, quality extracts as well as custom formulated flavors gives them the ability to create extraordinary "healthy and tasty" finished products.

Minacs Worldwide Inc.

Minacs Worldwide is North America's fastest-growing customer relationship management (CRM) services company. Minacs designs, develops and manages customized multimedia contact centres for some of the world's leading organizations in sectors such as high-value manufacturing, financial services, technology, telecommunications and select government services. Minacs work closely with their clients to help them communicate more effectively with their customers to achieve long-term relationships and loyalty. Minacs provides sophisticated CRM solutions in 20 languages using leading-edge communications technology and highly trained specialists. Solutions provided include inbound and outbound customer services, e-channel/self-service programs, data mining and analysis, and professional services.

Although Minacs Worldwide was homegrown in the Durham Region, it won this award by attracting a massive international investment through a leading Telematics provider, which signed a multi-year arrangement with Minacs to provide contact centre advisory services for its two million-subscriber base across North America. Minacs will manage the contact centre operations from its new facilities in Oshawa, bringing 600 new jobs to the Durham region.

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GTA LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Mayor Robert MacIsaac, City of Burlington

Mayor MacIsaac was acclaimed to his second term as mayor of the City of Burlington in November 2000. The mayor has been instrumental in advocating dramatic changes in governance, innovative support of economic development activities, environmental initiatives and development of SMART Growth principles.

Mayor MacIsaac is a member of the GTMA's Board of Directors and participated as the leader of the GTMA's international business mission to Silicon Valley in September, 2001, following on the heals of the tragic events in New York City and Washington. In addition to his business leadership, the mayor brought the correct political and emotional support to the visit during this sensitive time in the U.S. which was highly appreciated by our U.S. hosts. It was his leadership and tireless promotion of the GTA leading up to and during that business mission that won this award for GTA Business Ambassador in the public sector for 2001. He is also a tireless champion for the GTMA on the Board and in his region, in support of the international activities of the Alliance.

Belinda Stronach, Magna International Inc.

Belinda Stronach is the President & CEO of Magna International Inc., a leading global supplier of technologically advanced automotive components, systems and modules. The company that she now heads employs approximately 67,000 people and operates 173 automotive manufacturing divisions and 43-product development and engineering centres in 19 countries.

As the most diversified automotive supplier in the world, Magna designs, engineers and manufactures a complete range of exterior, interior and powertrain systems. Magna also provides complete vehicle design, engineering, assembly and program management services to its customers, the automotive Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). Magna is recognized by the world's major OEMs for its advanced technology, product innovation and total vehicle program management. Magna's non-automotive operations are conducted through Magna Entertainment Corp. (MEC), a publicly traded company. MEC is the largest operator of thoroughbred racetracks in North America, based on revenue, and one of the world's leading simulcast providers of live thoroughbred racing.

Through Magna's international activities and Belinda Stronach's international travels, the Magna name and its association with the Toronto region is promoted worldwide.

Gary Polonsky
Durham College/UOIT

Gary Polonsky is the President of Durham College and the new University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Through its seven campuses in Durham Region and Northumberland County, the College serves about 50,000 people this year. Durham College also has offices throughout the U.S.A., where it provides "Total Quality" training, consultancy, inspection and containment.

After a dozen years of work, Gary was successful in securing a new university and associated funding commitment from the province. The New University of Ontario Institute of Technology will be the first new university in a very long time. It will open in 2003. The creation of a fourth university in the GTA will make it more attractive to promote the GTA internationally, raising the level of the GTA's workforce and creating opportunities for attracting R&D through its research commercialization centre. Gary also sits as chair of the ITER community council, a local volunteer organization created to inform the community about the ITER project. Traveling internationally to promote the ITER bid, Gary and the rest of the team have tirelessly promoted the region.

ITER Canada

ITER Canada is a not-for-profit corporation with stakeholders from universities, labor, industry, the community and government committed to locating the world's ITER Fusion Energy Research and Development Centre in Clarington, the Greater Toronto Area, Canada. ITER, which means "the way" in Latin, is the largest collaborative research project on earth and the last stage in the decades-long international effort to develop fusion as a safe, clean, sustainable energy source for our planet.

Hosting ITER would have significant economic and technological benefits and would make the Greater Toronto Area a global focus of energy research for future generations.

Toronto International Film Festival Group

The Toronto International Film Festival Group is an essential, national and international, charitable and cultural organization devoted to celebrating and promoting the moving image. Its diverse activities encourage appreciation of the art and industry of the moving image while placing Canadian cinematic achievements in an international context. The Group's activities educate and generate audiences, adding to the cultural richness and diversity of communities while contributing to an understanding of one of the most influential and pervasive forms of expression of our times.

More people recognize Toronto and the GTA as a result of the Toronto International Film Festival than any other event or icon in the area, with the exception of the CN Tower. Thanks to the Festival, which is one of the world's top film festivals, we get to see some of the best in new films from around the world and attract some of the biggest stars and investors to the region.

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