Friday, June 13, National Garden Day, the Canadian Garden Council is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2014 Canadian Garden Tourism Awards. Garden Tourism Awards are presented to organizations and individuals who have distinguished themselves in the development and promotion of the garden experience as a tourism attraction. Now presented annually, the inaugural Garden Tourism Awards – the only such Awards program in the world – were bestowed at the 2011 Garden Tourism Conference held in Toronto. To view past winners, visit www.gardentourismconference.com and click on the ‘media’ tab. “Dr. Richard Benfield, author of ‘Garden Tourism’, estimates that annually there are 6 million garden tourists in Canada,” said Alexander Reford, director of Jardins de Métis and chair of the Canadian Garden Council. “It is a great pleasure to celebrate the contributions that our Canadian gardens make to our tourism offering for both Canadians and travelers from around the world.” In the spirit of highlighting Canada’s most dynamic garden experiences and Garden Tourism’s limitless potential, the Canadian Garden Council in consultation with a Canadian jury network is proud to announce the 2014 recipients of the Garden Tourism Awards
CANADIAN GARDEN TOURISM AWARDS 1. Garden of the Year Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens, PQ • sponsored by: Canadian Nursery Landscape Association 2. Botanical Garden of the Year Devonian Botanic Garden, AB • sponsored by: VIA Rail Canada 3. New Garden Experience of the Year Charlottetown Tulip Festival, PEI • sponsored by: Canadian Nursery Landscape Association 4. Garden Destination of the Year Vancouver, BC • sponsored by: VIA Rail Canada 5. Festival of the Year: Stratford Garden Festival, ON • sponsored by: Canadian Tourism Commission 6. Event of the Year Butchart Gardens Fireworks and Summer Music Program, BC • sponsored by: Canadian Tourism Commission 7. Garden Centre of the Year Greenland Garden Centre, Sherwood Park, AB • sponsored by: Horticulture Centre of the Pacific 8. Community of the Year Pembroke, ON • sponsored by: Communities in Bloom 9. Person of the Year Gilles Vincent, Montréal Botanical Garden, PQ • sponsored by: Baxter Travel Media 10. Initiative of the Year The Ecolodge, Tofino Botanical Gardens, BC • sponsored by: Horticulture Centre of the Pacific 11. Promotion of the Year Vancouver Island Garden Trail, BC • sponsored by: Baxter Travel Media 12. Website of the Year ICanGarden.com, AB 13. Journalist of the Year Lorraine Flanigan, ON • sponsored by: Enterprise Canada 14. Media of the Year Garden Making Magazine, ON • sponsored by: Enterprise Canada * * * * * * * Canadian Garden Council The Canadian Garden Council is the national umbrella body for provincial and national garden organizations. Its vision is to champion the garden experience sector’s contributions to the well-being of Canadians and the sustainability of our communities and to promote the joys and benefits of gardens, landscapes and green infrastructure. Its mission is to generate development and growth of the garden experience sector by: being the national platform through which garden organizations and organizers come together with common goals; developing programs, resources and services; promoting the role and benefits of Canadian gardens and gardening activities as integral components of our communities and their tourism experiences; fostering increased visitation to, and interest in, gardens and participation in gardening activities. The Council manages: Garden Days ( www.gardendays.ca ), Canada’s Garden Route (www.canadasgardenroute.ca ), Garden Tourism Awards and Garden Tourism Conference (www.gardentourismconference.com ) . The Canadian Garden Council Board is comprised of members from the BC Garden Tourism Society, Ontario Garden Tourism Coalition, Associations des grands jardins du Québec, Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, Communities in Bloom and representatives from public and botanical gardens in Alberta, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland & Labrador.