Toronto, ON . . . March 14, 2017 . . . Today at the North American Garden Tourism Conference, the Canadian Garden Council announced the recipients of the 2017 Canadian Garden Tourism Awards.

Garden Tourism is a significant component of the tourism industry
Dr. Richard Benfield author of Garden Tourism (2013) tells us according to his research, “Over the next 10 years, Canada will see unprecedented growth in garden visitation”.

“Our research shows that visiting the country’s spectacular gardens is something that large numbers of inbound tourists to Canada are very interested in adding to their itineraries,” said David Robinson, Vice President, Strategy & Stakeholder Relations of Destination Canada. “That the Canadian Garden Council is the North American leader on the subject of garden tourism is something about which we can build on.”

Garden Tourism Awards are presented to organizations and individuals who have distinguished themselves in the development and promotion of garden experiences as tourism attractions and motivators.

The 2017 Canadian Garden Tourism Award winners are . . .
In the spirit of highlighting Canada’s most dynamic garden experiences and Garden Tourism’s limitless potential, in collaboration with the Canadian Nursery Landscape Association, sponsor of the 2017 Awards Program, the Canadian Garden Council is honoured to announce the 2017 recipients of the Canadian Garden Tourism Awards.

Garden of the Year
Horticulture Centre of the Pacific, BC
Sponsored by: Canadian Nursery Landscape Association

New Garden Experience of the Year
Landscapes of Canada Gardens, Canadian Museum of Nature, ON
Sponsored by: Canadian Nursery Landscape Association

Garden Destination of the Year
Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm, BC
Sponsored by: Baxter Travel Media

Garden Festival of the Year
Canada Blooms

Garden Exhibition of the Year
Hamilton Garden & Mum Show, ON

Garden Event of the Year
Peterborough Garden Show, ON

Destination Garden Centre of the Year
Plant Paradise Country Gardens, ON
Sponsored by: Canadian Nursery Landscape Association

Garden Community Destination of the Year
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Sponsored by: Baxter Travel Media

Garden Media Person of the Year
Mark Cullen, ON
Sponsored by: Enterprise Canada

Garden Media of the Year
Pegasus Publications, MB
Sponsored by: Enterprise Canada

Garden Marketing Campaign of the Year
Kingsbrae Garden Amazing Race Partnership, NB

Garden Person of the Year
Lucinda Flemer, NB
Sponsored by: Enterprise Canada

and

Garden Person of the Year
Judith Cabrita, NS
Sponsored by: Enterprise Canada

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Canadian Garden Council

The Canadian Garden Council is the national association for provincial and national garden organizations. Its vision is to champion the garden experience sector’s contributions to the well-being of Canadians, the sustainability of our communities and to promote the joys and benefits of gardens, landscapes and green infrastructure.

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 Gardens BC, Ontario Garden Council, 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.

For more information, media only, please contact:

Stephen Murdoch, Enterprise Canada. Cell: 289-241-3997
email: [email protected]

Carol Cowan, Canadian Garden Council. Tel: 416-929-1066
email: [email protected]