OTTAWA, Aug. 20, 2015 /CNW/ -Great Places in Canada is continuing to accept nominations until September 3, 2015 at 11:59PM EDT. At midnight, the slate of nominees will be finalized for the 2015 edition of this exciting contest.
The number of fantastic nominations has grown in the past few weeks, with entries coming from Newfoundland to British Columbia and everywhere in between. The variety of streets, neighbourhoods and public spaces that have been nominated and the unique communities that rally around them showcase the many vibrant flavours of Canadian life and culture. The local pride and unification inspired by each of these great places is very apparent on greatplacesincanada.ca. Great Places in Canada gives a splendid snapshot of our vast country, and contest aside, an excellent way to discover new places in Canada as presented by their citizens.
We've had new nominations in the Public Space category which include Witless Bay's Lower Pond Beach & Conception Bay South T'Railway in Newfoundland, and Lethbridge River Valley in Alberta. Orangeville Ontario's Broadway, Main Street Osoyoos in British Columbia and Pictou Lobster Carnival in Nova Scotia are battling it out for votes in the Street category. Historic Downtown Amherstburg and Cookstown, both Ontario entries, have joined the other contenders in the Neighbourhood category, bringing the total to four. There are 2 weeks left until the deadline, and, historically, a great number of entries are submitted under the wire.
Media, both social and print, have jumped on the opportunity to bring more attention to their local nominee and the engagement continues to be impressive. Voting has been very active among top contenders for People's Choice in all categories.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP), is convening a jury of professional planners who will be judging the final list of nominated places in each category. It is this jury which will create the list of finalists and ultimately award the title of "Great Place" to the most deserving nominee based on a variety of planning merits.
So why did CIP create Great Places in Canada 5 years ago? The institute felt it was a fun way to engage Canadians in sharing their favourite places and to recognize the work accomplished by professional planners to make these places possible. It's a fun contest that is free and rewarding. Every community has at least one place that defines its character. Sharing that place and winning the designation of "Great Place in Canada" will put a feather in the cap of the individual who initially thought to nominate the place.
Voting closes September 24th, 2015, three weeks after nominations close. After the finalists are announced in October, the Grand Prize winners and People's Choice winners will be declared November 4th, 2015, in conjunction with World Town Planning Day.
Prizes are being provided by the contest's generous sponsors, VIA Rail Canada and Roots Canada. Communities in Bloom and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) are also providing invaluable support for this year's edition of Great Places in Canada.
Visit greatplacesincanada.ca to nominate and vote!
For winners from previous years, visit www.greatplacesincanada.ca.
Great Places in Canada is an annual contest hosted by CIP and it is now in its fifth year. The contest seeks to increase Canadians' awareness about the planning profession and the work of professional planners in Canada. Visit www.greatplacesincanada.ca for more information.
The Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) is the national voice of Canada's planning profession. Since 1919, CIP has been dedicated to the advancement of responsible planning throughout Canada. CIP has a membership of over 7,800 professional planners, and collaborates with provincial planning institutes and associations to promote professional standards, training and certification as well as best practices in planning across Canada. Visit www.cip-icu.ca.
VIA Rail Canada, as the national rail passenger service, provides efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation to Canadian travellers, and service in both official languages. Every week VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500 kilometers route network. VIA transports over four million passengers annually. Please visit www.viarail.ca.
Roots Canada - Founded in 1973, Roots is Canada's leading lifestyle brand known for its quality leather goods, athletic apparel, accessories, and natural fiber clothing. In addition to its state-of-the-art factory and design centre in Toronto, Roots has 125 stores in Canada and the United States along with 100 retail locations in Asia. The core values that have always governed Roots are based on a commitment to active, healthy living, respect for the environment, community support and a passion for Canada. For more, visit www.roots.com.
Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program, with focus on the enhancement of green spaces. The pride, sense of community and feeling of accomplishment generated through participation are visible in communities across Canada. For more information about Communities in Bloom, visit www.communitiesinbloom.ca.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been the national voice of municipal government since 1901. With over 2,000 members, FCM represents the interests of municipalities on policy and program matters that fall within federal jurisdiction. Members include Canada's largest cities, small urban and rural communities, and 19 provincial and territorial municipal associations. Visit www.fcm.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Institute of Planners
Image with caption: "Great Street nominee - Broadway in Orangeville (Ontario) (CNW Group/Canadian Institute of Planners)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150820_C7819_PHOTO_EN_481540.jpg
Kelly McTavish, Coordinator, Membership Recognition Programs, Manager of Great Places in Canada, [email protected], 613-237-7526 x507, (800) 207-2138
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