The Winnipeg Tourism Awards of Distinction allow Winnipeg’s tourism industry to recognize those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer a superior tourism experience to travelers in Winnipeg.
Congratulations to the award winners of 2020.
Volunteer of the Year | Sponsored by the Winnipeg Airports Authority
WINNER: Lee Woods – Pride Winnipeg
Lee Woods (they/them) has been a proud volunteer with Pride Winnipeg since 2017, before they moved to Winnipeg. As Pride’s Vice-President of Marketing, their background in graphic design and tourism contributes to making the Pride Winnipeg Festival look fantastic each year. Along with creating and managing a large part of Pride’s marketing campaigns by themselves, Lee is committed to seeing other Pride Winnipeg projects through. This includes the new Pride Winnipeg website, which they designed and launched themselves, all while tackling other projects at the same time. Lee jumps at the chance to help the Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diverse (GSRD) community shine, whether as a mentor, by helping to bring more people to the festival or by assisting fellow volunteers.
Employee of the Year | Sponsored by the Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre
WINNERS: Andrew Swan – RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg
Ramanpreet Kaur – Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites
Andrew Swan has worked in the RBC Convention Centre’s parkade for more than 20 years and has made his mark by presenting personalized gifts and displaying customized welcome signage for his regular clients. Andy has also taken a leadership role in training new staff and is the recipient of the centre’s ACE awards.
Ramanpreet Kaur is renowned for going the extra mile for guests staying at Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites as a Guest Service Representative. Her impactful gestures to personalize stays have included offering treats and toys for children and pet guests, to prioritizing housekeeping for early check-ins. She has won the hotel’s Arrivals Experience Award three times.
Small of the Year | Sponsored by Parks Canada
WINNER: Coal and Canary Candle Company
Proudly handmade by a local team, Coal and Canary’s luxury candles are at the forefront of young Winnipeg entrepreneurship, representing the city in more than 250 retailers. Its flagship store at The Forks serves tourists and has expanded to acquire other local brands for wholesale. Candle collaboration with local artists and attractions present pieces of Winnipeg that visitors can take home with them.
Large Business of the Year | Sponsored by Alt Hotel Winnipeg
WINNER: Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club
The Winnipeg Goldeyes Baseball Club completed its 26th season with several new developments to elevate the visitor experience. New concession options highlighted Winnipeg businesses, allowing out-of-town guests to experience a variety of local cuisines. In 2019, the park’s popular Craft Beer Corner also expanded to feature 10 local breweries, which led to the creation of a new beer and Goldeyes ticket voucher booklet to promote this unique partnership. Its cultural nights, such as Soirée Francophone, Métis Night and Ukrainian Celebration allowed the team to celebrate the diversity of the city and province to visitors.
Leader of the Year | Sponsored by Thermea by Nordi Spa-Nature
WINNER: Normand Gousseau – Enterprises Riel
Normand Gousseau has worked tirelessly to boost Winnipeg’s tourism offerings for more than 30 years making him a leader in the community. As CEO of Enterprises Riel, he has been an advisor, facilitator and advocate in bilingual business and tourism development initiatives. He led the province’s Francophone cultural and tourism strategy and fostered economic development projects such as the Taché Promenade, a year-round St. Norbert Farmers’ Market, a major documentary film and so much more. He has also received numerous awards acknowledging his dedication and countless volunteer hours.
Bring it Home Award (Meetings and Conventions) | Sponsored by RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg
WINNER: 2019 National Gathering of Elders – Mike Sutherland of Peguis First Nation
After attending the first-ever National Gathering of Elders in Edmonton in 2017, Mike Sutherland of Peguis First Nation saw an opportunity in hosting the 2019 event in Winnipeg and approached Chief Glenn Hudson of Peguis First Nation and RBC Convention Centre Winnipeg to discuss. From there, they sent an application to the national body to host, competing against other cities and organizations. Their bid and volunteer efforts stood out from the rest thanks to the strong and engaged local committee led by Mike and many other volunteers and Elders in Winnipeg and Manitoba. In just 13 days, Mike secured confirmation that the National Gathering of Elders was coming to Winnipeg in 2019. The conference brought in 3,450 visitors and delegates to the city. The warmth and hospitality extended by tourism partners and the local host committee put Winnipeg on the map as an ideal host city for future largescale and Indigenous conferences.
Bring it Home Award (Sports and Special Events) | Sponsored by Manitoba Hotel Association
WINNER: 2019 Canadian National Basketball | Senior Men’s Team Exhibition Game CANADA VS. NIGERIA
Held at Bell MTS Place, the Canada vs. Nigeria basketball game saw the return of the Canadian Senior Men’s National Team to Winnipeg for the first time since the 1999 Pan Am Games. Basketball Manitoba and True North Sports and Entertainment actively pursued Basketball Canada to convince them to bring one of the team’s two Canadian games to Winnipeg. The other stop, Toronto, saw 3,000 spectators, whereas the Manitoba game attracted 8,000 fans, elevating the city as an ideal location to host similar events in future.
Marketing Campaign of the Year (Under $2500) | Sponsored by Travel Manitoba
WINNER: Dino Day 2019 | Royal Canadian Mint
With a goal to drive traffic over spring break weekend in 2019, the Royal Canadian Mint created a free dinosaur-themed event and campaign that saw tremendous results. The Mint saw its typical attendance of 800-1,000 guests quadruple to 4,300 visitors by targeting families with children in Winnipeg and the surrounding areas using social media, a sign rental and listings on tourism partners’ websites.
Marketing Campaign of the Year (Over $2500) | Sponsored by Travel Manitoba
WINNER: 2019 Zoo Lights Festival | Assiniboine Park Conservancy
In 2019, the Assiniboine Park Conservancy launched its inaugural Zoo Lights Festival at Assiniboine Park Zoo, which celebrates the joys of the holiday season. The marketing campaign included a mix of advertising, paid and organic social media and on-site promotion, also supported by an earned media strategy. The event and its marketing campaign attracted more than 86,000 visitors, exceeding the goal of selling 55,000 tickets. Approximately 20 per cent of tickets were purchased by people living outside of Winnipeg.
Innovation of the Year | Sponsored by The Forks
WINNER: Activate Games
After two years of brainstorming, the creative minds behind Winnipeg’s The Real Escape created a completely new form of entertainment called “active gaming.” Activate offers players a high-tech experience that test a team’s physical and mental agility across a variety of interactive challenges. After a year in operation, Activate has had more than 80,000 unique visitors, most of whom have returned multiple times. Activate draws customers from outside the city, province and country thanks to its one-of-a-kind business not found anywhere else in the world.
Partner of the Year | Designated by Tourism Winnipeg
WINNER: Tom Borsa | Encore Digital (Formerly Freeman Audio Visual Canada)
Tom Borsa has been an integral partner supporting a variety of tourism-related initiatives and countless meetings, conventions, sports and special events throughout the city. His knowledge and experience in A/V technology have ensured sound experiences in the city are not only dynamic, but seamless for participants to feel more engaged. Tom always puts his clients first; often you’ll find him working tirelessly behind the scenes as A/V can make or break an event. Tom has shared his expertise even when Encore Canada could not be the service provider – a true test of one’s dedication as a partner. Tom is a long-time Team Winnipeg stakeholder and sits on the Team Winnipeg Advisory Committee, providing his advice and guidance.
Lifetime Achievement Award | Designated by Economic Development Winnipeg
WINNER: Ida Albo | The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre, Ascend Hotel Collection, Yoga Public and The Face Bar
Ida Albo is a true trailblazer and one of Winnipeg’s biggest tourism industry leaders and community supporters. Her generosity, civic pride and vision drives her to improve the quality of life for all in the city. As co-owner of the iconic The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre since 1994, she has worked tirelessly to restore the 1913 landmark and transform it into one of the city’s top hotels and most popular event spaces. Her entrepreneurship and passion for yoga led her to become co-founder of Yoga Public, Canada’s largest yoga fitness studio in downtown Winnipeg, while she seized the latest advancements in dermatology by the opening the Face Bar. As a civic booster, she has given her time and energy to numerous community and charitable organizations, among them: CentreVenture Development Corporation, where she was instrumental spearheading the Plaza Skate Park, as well as in the rebirth of Winnipeg’s Central Park, CancerCare Manitoba, Canadian Tourism Commission, Winnipeg Symphony and Manitoba Business Council to name a few. She was named a member of the Order of Canada in 2015 and inducted into the Manitoba Business Hall of Fame in 2018. Currently, she serves as Board Director of Economic Development Winnipeg. Ida is a champion of Winnipeg and most deserving of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.