General Mills Canada & Canada Post connect Canadians with Olympians

Meet Olympic Gold Medalist Ashleigh McIvor & Olympians Patrick Chan & Chris Del Bosco

What:       As Official Suppliers of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, General Mills and Canada Post are proudly giving Canadians an opportunity to share in the Olympic Spirit by meeting some of Canada’s top Olympians, including 2010 Ladies’ Ski Cross Gold Medal Winner Ashleigh McIvor.  McIvor is the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in Ski Cross, earning her place on the podium on Tuesday.  McIvor will be joined by fellow Olympians Chris Del Bosco and Patrick Chan. Del Bosco had been positioned to win bronze in Men’s Ski Cross, and after a spectacular crash trying to charge through for Gold, finished fourth. Three-time Canadian Champion Patrick Chan earned a fifth place position in Men’s Figure Skating.

This autograph-signing session celebrates the Olympians’ commitment to their sport and marks the pinnacle of the CHEER campaign, a cross-Canada outpouring of support and enthusiasm mounted by General Mills Canada in partnership with Canada Post.  The CHEER campaign invited Canadians to write messages of encouragement on postcards, pre-paid courtesy of Canada Post, found on specially-marked Cheerios boxes.  Overall, 13,000 CHEER cards were collected from across the country and delivered to Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic Teams by Canada Post prior to the Games, and 7,000 have been collected during the Games.  The Olympian autograph signing session will take place in front of Canada Post’s main Vancouver postal outlet, where a selection of the CHEER postcards will be displayed for the duration of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Who:         Photo and interview opportunity with:

• Ashleigh McIvor, Ladies’ Ski Cross, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games Gold Medalist
• Patrick Chan, Figure Skating, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Fifth Place Finish
• Chris Del Bosco, Men’s Ski Cross, Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Fourth Place Finish
• Representatives from General Mills Canada and Canada Post about the importance of building support for our athletes

When:                          Friday, February 26, 2010

• MEDIA AVAILABILITY: 2:30 pm for all three athletes
• Autograph Signing Sessions:

                                                            1:00 - 3:00 pm:  Ashleigh McIvor and Chris Del Bosco

2:30 - 4:30 pm:  Patrick Chan

Where:                        Canada Post’s Vancouver Mail Processing Plant (in the retail parking lot facing Georgia Street, under the “Let’s Go Canada” banner)

349 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC

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For more information or to secure an interview, please contact:

Twenty-two teams have selected the region as their training grounds for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games and officials announce new Mountain Sport Centre funding today

Comox Valley, Vancouver Island - With Vancouver Island’s largest ski resort in its backyard, and a comparable climate to Whistler and the Callaghan valley, hundreds of world class athletes will be converging on the Comox Valley in the lead up to the 2010 Winter Games.

With the six month countdown to the games approaching, twenty-two different teams, from nine nations, have already chosen the Comox Valley as their Olympic training site. Teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, France, Finland, Australia and Russia from sports including Snowboarding, Ski Cross, Snowboard Cross, Biathlon, Cross Country and Freestyle Skiing, have all committed to training in the area prior to the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The Comox Valley, located on Vancouver Island’s east coast, rests across the scenic Georgia Strait from the Olympic venues of Whistler and the Callaghan Valley. “Our snow conditions and infrastructure are very similar to the 2010 sites, but I think what has really attracted teams here has been the facilities we have been able to develop and the community’s enthusiasm to host them and meet their needs,” said Susan Kelsey, a former summer Olympian and Chair of the Comox Valley’s Spirit of BC Community Committee. “We’ve hosted visits from several Olympic and Paralympic Committees and are very excited to announce that the majority of teams who have seen what we have to offer have selected the region as their 2010 training site.”

Since Vancouver’s successful bid for the 2010 Winter Games, the Comox Valley has attracted two World Cup Paralympic events and several teams have already been in the area to begin their training. Mount Washington and local community organizations have worked together to develop the mountain’s trail network, biathlon and training facilities to international FIS standards.

The largest infrastructure investment in the mountain was announced today. Vancouver Island North MP John Duncan joined officials from Mt. Washington and the Vancouver Island Mountain Sport Society to announce $795,000 in federal funding is being provided to support construction of the Vancouver Island Mountain Sport Centre. The 8,000 square foot Mountain Sports Centre, which will feature a hostel, a weight room, coaching offices and multi-purpose rooms, will be built on land donated by Mount Washington Alpine Resort adjacent to Raven Lodge. The total cost of the project is estimated at $1.8 million, and the Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society hopes to complete the new facility by winter of 2010.  

“This facility never would have been built if it wasn’t for the attention that the 2010 Winter Games have brought to the Mountain, ” said Don Sharpe, Director of Business Development for Mt. Washington Resort. “The Games have opened our community to the world. It has been the catalyst that has helped us develop the infrastructure that will be a legacy for the Comox Valley. It’s helping us attract world class athletes and sporting events and bringing visitors to come see everything that the area has to offer.”

About Comox Valley Economic Development:

The Comox Valley Economic Development office was formed in 1988 and is a non-profit society with annual funding from the City of Courtenay, Town of Comox, Village of Cumberland, and the Comox Valley Regional District areas A, B and C.

The Comox Valley was one of a handful of B.C. communities to take targeted delegations to the 2006 Torino Winter Olympics and 2008 Beijing Summer Games to capitalize on Olympic opportunities for the region.

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Reference Websites:

http://www.sportcomoxvalley.com/

http://mountwashingtonresort.ca/

http://www.discovercomoxvalley.com/

http://www.vimss.com/

Media Inquiries:

Paul Marr                                                 

Optimum Public Relations                        
604-647-6288

Paul.marr@cossette.com                   

BURNABY, BC (September 9, 2009) Future Shop, in partnership with the Richmond Board of Education, opened a Future Generation Tech Lab in the Richmond School District today, solidifying the company’s commitment to secondary students and schools across Canada and addressing one of their leading challenges. With an increasing demand for digital tools in the classrooms, principals have reported that funding for computers and related equipment is an ongoing challenge*. In response, The Future Generation Tech Lab program, established in April 2009, contributes $50,000 donations to each of the selected schools to upgrade classrooms into leading edge technology centres.

To gain an accurate assessment of Canadians thoughts on corporate donations in schools, Future Shop commissioned an Ipsos Reid survey** and found a majority of Canadians (77 per cent) do not believe it is their responsibility to raise funds for school resources, while 87 per cent were in support of corporation donations made to public schools.

“We have the ability to help provide digital tools to schools to inspire motivate, and empower secondary students across Canada,” said Todd Empey, vice-president, operations, Future Shop. “The Future Generation Tech Lab program is designed to give schools the modern technology required to deliver enriched learning environments for our youth”

The survey results also found:

• - Ninety-seven per cent of Canadians indicated it is important for students to have access to up-to-date technology in school
• - Ninety per cent of women are supportive of corporate donations to schools
• - Parents (93 per cent) have an even higher propensity to support corporate donations to public schools than those without children (83 per cent). Support is widespread across Canada

The Future Generation program endeavours to help reduce the economic and digital divide for grades 10-12 students in schools considered by their districts to be high in need.

This type of partnership between the school and a community-focused initiative such as the Future Generation Tech Lab is very helpful to us both in improving academic achievement and teaching modern skills for learning and work.” said Linda McPhail, Chairperson, Board of Education, Richmond.” This program is creating opportunities for many students by providing them with the latest technology and we are extremely pleased to be amongst the first recipients.”

This year, R.C. Palmer Secondary School in Richmond, BC, was selected as a recipient of the Future Generation Tech Lab program.

• R.C. Palmer Secondary School will launch a multi-media lab that will offer grade 10-12 students with access to unique programs including Music Composition and Broadcasting. Richmond’s Virtual School, which boasts one of the highest completion rates in the province, will also find a permanent home in the lab and allow expansion of the program’s offerings to the District’s students.

“The Future Generation Tech Lab program is still in its early stages and we are very excited with the overall response and support we have received from participating schools across the country,” said Empey. “We want to continue to help make a positive impact in our communities, and we believe that providing resources is one of the best ways we can help our local communities and schools succeed.”

To learn more about Future Shop’ Future Generation Tech Lab program, please visit http://www.futureshop.ca//futuregeneration

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*These are findings from the ICTSS that was conducted in October 2003 by Statistics Canada in partnership with the sponsor of the survey, Industry Canada’s SchoolNet program. For more information please visit http://www.statcan.gc.ca/kits-trousses/courses-cours/edu05_0008a-eng.htm.   

**These are findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted on behalf o Future Shop from July 14-22, 2009.  This online survey of 1,018 adults aged 18 and older in Canada is accurate within +/- 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

 About Future Shop’s Future Generation

The Future Generation Tech Lab program expands on a nearly 10-year commitment to support students and education in Canada. Since 2001, Future Shop has donated over 500 post-secondary scholarships (valued at $3,000 each), over 600 computers to non-profit partners and five Tech Labs to secondary schools across Canada. Each of Future Shop’s 142 stores donates to non-profits and communities on an individual basis, and supports employee volunteerism with Volunteer Awards.

Trevor Linden, Wendel Clark & Ian White lead Midnight Madness events in Toronto &Vancouver

(Toronto, ON/Burnaby, BC) September 9, 2009 - In addition to millions of Canadians waiting for the puck to drop on the start of the 2009-10 hockey season, gamers and fans are also looking forward to scoring a copy of EA SPORTS NHL 10, the number one selling console videogame in Canada*.  Future Shop, Canada’s largest retailer and etailer of consumer electronics, has teamed with EA SPORTS to celebrate the launch of its highly-anticipated NHL 10 videogame at “Midnight Madness” launch parties in Toronto and Vancouver on Monday, September 14. Hundreds of fans are expected to participate in a party atmosphere to play NHL 10 on Xbox 360, meet current and former NHL stars Trevor Linden (Vancouver), Wendel Clark and Ian White (Toronto), and be among the first to receive NHL 10.

What:                   Midnight Madness launch events celebrating the release of EA SPORTS NHL 10 at select Future Shop stores in Toronto and Vancouver.

When:                  Monday, September 14, 2009

Toronto event

• o 9:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. - Ian White
• o 10:00 p.m. - 11:45 p.m. - Wendel Clark

Vancouver event

• o 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. - Trevor Linden

• Stores are open from 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.

Where:                Toronto - Future Shop, 325 Yonge St. (at Dundas)

                              Vancouver - Future Shop, 798 Granville St. (at Robson)

*According to NAPD.

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About NHL 10

NHL®10 delivers a new, physical brand of hockey to match the physical and emotional intensity real-world players endure in pursuit of the Stanley Cup®. The franchise that has won 19 sports game of the year awards since 2007 begins a new era with gameplay innovations that include first-person fighting, all-new board play, post-whistle action and spectacular new ways to score. NHL 10 is available for the Xbox 360® and PLAYSTATION®3. It is rated 10+ by the ESRB.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA SPORTS^TM, EA^TM, EA Mobile^TM and POGO^TM. In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA’s homepage and online game site is http://www.ea.com. More information about EA’s products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com/.

About Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is a premier video game and entertainment system. It is home to the best and broadest games as well as the largest on-demand library of standard- and high-definition movies connected to the television - with music coming this fall. The digital center of the living room, Xbox 360 blends unbeatable content with the largest online social network connected to the television in the 20 million members on Xbox LIVE to create a limitless entertainment experience that can be shared at home or across the globe. With the addition of currently code-named “Project Natal,” Xbox 360 will forever transform social gaming and entertainment with a whole new way to play - no controller required. More information about “Project Natal” and Xbox 360 can be found online at http://www.xbox.com/en-CA/live/projectnatal/ and http://www.xbox.ca/.

About Future Shop

With 142 stores across the country and the nation’s premier web store (http://www.futureshop.ca/), Burnaby, BC-based Future Shop is Canada’s largest retailer and e-tailer of consumer electronics. Future Shop and its more than 10,000 employees are dedicated to providing customers with expert advice about home and entertainment technology both in-store and online.  The company hosts an online community forum for technology beginners and tech-savvy experts to exchange ideas, reviews, tips and other consumer electronics information (http://www.futureshopforums.ca/). To help keep used electronics out of the landfills, Future Shop has an in-store recycling program for seven types of products (see www.futureshop.ca/green). As a proud corporate citizen, Future Shop is committed to employee volunteerism and supporting non-profits organizations dedicated to transforming local youth into Future Leaders (see www.futureshop.ca/community).

A Forum for Digital Marketing Thought Leadership

Part of Vancouver Digital Week, Convergence 09 is a gathering of leading experts in digital marketing and communications from across North America. This year the focus is on digital branding through social media.

Cossette West invites editorial media, bloggers and podcaster covering digital marketing and communications to attend Convergence 09. This exciting and informative day will provide participants with the opportunity to listen to world-class business leaders and industry experts, participate in practical easy-to-apply workshops, and define the best digital strategies for the coming year. Attendees will learn innovative ways to stay competitive in the ever-changing digital world.

DATE Monday, May 11, 2009
TIME 9:30 am to 5:00 pm
LOCATION Vancouver Exhibition and Conference Centre (expansion site)

KEY NOTE SPEAKER
Obama’s Unsung Hero
DAVID PLOUFFE
Campaign Manager, Obama for America

Additional details on the agenda and confirmed speakers are available at http://www.cossettewest.com/convergence2009/

Media interested in attending Convergence 2009 should complete and return the attached form to Brendan Bailey at brendan.bailey@cossette.com or fax to 604.662.4503 by no later than May 1, 2009.

Please note that to qualify as media, you must cover the digital media industry, business or marketing sectors, or are press local to Vancouver. Because of space constraints at the venue, Cossette West reserves the right to limit the number of editors / writers representing a single outlet and the number of spaces available for media accreditation.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

BRENDAN BAILEY OPTIMUM PR
D  604.647.2985

Download Media Accreditation Form.

• The Bocuse d’Or is arguably the world’s most prestigious culinary event. This biennial competition takes place in Lyon, France and seeks to bring the world’s greatest chefs out from their kitchens and onto a global stage, pitting select countries against each other. Intended to showcase the skills, talents and culinary creations of 24 chefs from 24 countries, the Bocuse d’Or creates culinary icons in the process. In January 2008, Moxie’s Classic Grill became the title sponsor for Canadian Team at the January 2009 Bocuse d’Or.

Challenge

• Moxie’s Classic Grill asked Optimum for media relations support and strategic direction to leverage their sponsorship of the Bocuse d’Or to garner media attention for the restaurant group, as well as to boost the profile of the competition to a national level.
  • Whilst the competition enjoys significant financial support and a high level of awareness within both the public and the media in Europe, it was virtually unheard of in Canada.
  • Moxie’s Classic Grill wished to use the sponsorship to highlight their commitment to training and excellence, and a shared passion for food.
• Optimum outlined two campaign objectives: achieve national broadcast and print media coverage and create competition awareness online and in the blogosphere, and profile Moxie’s role as title sponsor highlighting their shared values with Bocuse d’Or Canada.

Solution

• Optimum developed a multi-faceted approach to traditional and new media to broaden the viewer base, to create a community of fans who interact with one another, and help Canadians feel a vested interest in the success of Team Canada at the Bocuse d’Or.
• Optimum provided strategic recommendations for the overall communications plan and execution: the plan included a national media tour, and the creation of an online community and vocal Facebook fan base through new media and engaging content.
• In addition, Optimum drafted all media relations material, and prepared key messages for both the Bocuse Team Canada and Moxie’s executives for media interviews.
• The David Wong Facebook page was launched to coincide with the distribution of Moxie’s sponsorship announcement / news release, and was considered the first step in the creation of David Wong as a “celebrity chef,” and the face of Bocuse d’Or Canada.
• The Facebook fan page included official videos from media dinners and past competitions, hand-held video diaries from practice runs, multiple photo albums including official photography; regular notes to update fans about new coverage; event listings for fundraisers and media tour dates, as well as an RSS feed from a live blog written on the ground in Lyon by Moxie’s Executive chef, John Humphreys.
• Optimum executed all logistics and marketing collateral in support of the first media dinner in Toronto in April 2008, and the subsequent dinner in Vancouver in November 2008, to introduce the Canadian Team and Moxie’s executive chef In a five-course food-and-wine pairing

Results

• Optimum’s pitch efforts ensured a successful VIP turn out to both the Toronto and Vancouver media dinners, with more than 70 members of prominent Toronto and Vancouver media present.
• Media relations efforts resulted in substantial national coverage - print, broadcast and online, for a reach of over well over 10 million media impressions. Highlights included: The Globe and Mail (two features), Canada News Morning (Global TV), Breakfast Television (City TV Vancouver), CTV Local and National News, OMNI TV/M Channel, Fairchild TV, The Vancouver Sun, The Calgary Herald, 24 Hours, Metro, CBC Radio, The Beat, Radio Canada, as well as ethnic radio and print coverage nationwide..
• A significant online presence was achieved including coverage on louloumagazine.com, globeandmail.com, vancouversun.com, metro.ca, canadianliving.com, Facebook, and numerous media and private blogs.
• Social Networking exposure has seen David Wong’s Bocuse d’Or Facebook page grow from zero to more than 550 fans, increasing steadily in the lead-up to the competition. Key media logged in daily to monitor the live blog from Lyon and keep abreast of competition developments.

Time Period

• Nine months: March 2008 - January 2009

Calgary, AB, January 29, 2009 - Moxie’s Classic Grill is proud to announce that Chef David Wong and the Canadian Bocuse d’Or team achieved success placing in the top ten at this year’s Bocuse d’Or in Lyon, France. With a ninth place overall finish for Bocuse Team Canada, Chef Wong’s apprentice Grace Pineda won top honours for “Best Commis (Apprentice).” Their participation at the most prestigious culinary competition in the world has helped foster worldwide appreciation for the quality and character of Canadian cuisine. This rewarding experience for Team Canada is a culmination of years of hard work from Chef Wong and months of support from title sponsor, Moxie’s Classic Grill.

“On behalf of the entire Moxie’s family, I’d like to congratulate Chef Wong and his team for their performance at this year’s Bocuse d’Or,” said Laurids Skaarup, President of Moxie’s Classic Grill. “We’re a fiercely proud Canadian company and these are fiercely proud Canadian competitors. At Moxie’s, we have always known that Canada is blessed with tremendous culinary talent, evidenced in David’s top-ten placement and Grace’s award for “Best Commis.”

Leading up to the 2009 Bocuse d’Or, Chef David Wong spent the past six years training to perfect his craft. After winning the Canadian Bocuse d’Or nomination in 2007, David put his instructor duties at The Art Institute of Vancouver on hold to prepare full time for the Bocuse d’Or competition.

“This has been an incredible journey, and it was truly a privilege to represent Canada at the Bocuse d’Or. The competition is unbelievably fierce, and the opportunity to compete at this level is something I will never forget,” said Chef Wong. “Moxie’s dedication gave us advantages no other Canadian competitor in the history of Bocuse has enjoyed - we were able to train full time in the months leading up to the competition, work with young Moxie’s chefs across Canada, and share our story with Canadians.”

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Vancouver’s BuildDirect is reaching out to its global customer base in a whole new way. As one of the world’s leading online wholesalers and manufacturers of building products they have always focused on using leading edge technology to stand apart. Now the company co-founder Jeff Booth, and his executive team, are engaging in direct conversations with their customers from around the world.

The company recently launched a series of corporate blogs covering everything from how to pick the best bamboo floor, to insights on green building and how to successfully build a new business. All of the company’s department heads are now blogging in their areas of expertise, and they have also started micro-blogging on Twitter. In addition to this, employees, customers and suppliers are joining in to become fans of BuildDirect on Facebook, and their executive team is starting to shoot videos of their work around the world to share online.

BuildDirect has always taken an innovative approach to the building products industry,” said BuildDirect president and CEO Jeff Booth. “Very early on we understood the value of making all of our products and detailed product information available online, and we definitely understand the value of communicating differently with our customers. One of our early initiatives was the creation of BuildDirect University where customers could find online articles about installation, product selection and maintenance, and last year we became one of the only companies in the building products industry that allows users to leave unedited product reviews on our site for every product we sell. When we started this dialogue with our customers we got some great input that has helped us improve our customer service and expand our product offering to include more of what our customers were asking for. We learnt a lot of valuable lessons from those conversations and that is why we are really focusing our efforts on expanding the conversation even further.”

Blogging, Twittering and Facebooking are new initiatives for BuildDirect, but they are already finding that new social media connections are helping them connect with new customers and the media. By staying on the leading edge the company has continued to grow its sales this year, even as the US housing and construction market has experienced a significant downturn. They have expanded from their base in Vancouver, to now do business in 60 countries on 6 continents, and by using social media they now have a whole new way to keep in touch with their growing customer base.

Want to talk to Builddirect? You can follow them on Twitter (@BuildDirect) or check out company president and co-founder Jeff Booth’s blog Building Into the Future.

DOLLARD-DES-ORMEAUX (QC) - September 16^th, 2008 - Brother International Corporation (Canada) Ltd. today unveils its “Professional Series” line of colour inkjet all-in-one units with built-in networking capabilities. Designed especially for small business users, this new Brother series represents the latest example of the company’s vision and strength in anticipating the office machine needs of SMBs and home office customers. In addition to traditional business functions, the new series offers innovative tools not available from any other manufacturer, including the ability to print, copy, scan and fax up to the ledger 11-by-17-inch size. The new series features three models: the network-ready MFC-5490CN (ESP $179 CDN), the network-ready MFC-5890CN (ESP $249 CDN) and the top-of-the-line wireless network MFC-6490CW (ESP $349 CDN).

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By Brian Dunn

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is encouraging Canadians with physical disabilities to get involved in sports through a grassroots awareness campaign and through its FeelTheRush.ca website created by Optimum Public Relations, Vancouver.   (more…)