Award-winning team: Graham, McSweeney

North Grenville – Local marketing firm TD Graham + Associates in partnership with Ottawa-based consulting firm McSweeney & Associates has received national recognition from the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC). The announcement was made at the EDAC annual conference in Thunder Bay.

The award-winning entry – a Target Market Study prepared by the McSweeney Team for the Quinte Economic Development Commission – was selected from over 300 submissions from across Canada. The study aims to assist with promoting business investment in the Bay of Quinte Area.

“We were delighted to have our work recognized once again by EDAC,” said marketing firm principal Tom Graham. “It’s good for us – and for our clients – to know that our work can compete at a National level.”

“We help communities identify their major strengths and assets upon which to base successful economic development efforts – with the ultimate objective of creating wealth and jobs in the community," stated Eric McSweeney, president of McSweeney & Associates.

The McSweeney and Graham team has worked together before, providing economic development help to municipalities in eastern Ontario, and on larger projects such as the Ontario East Economic Development web portal currently in development.

The two firms work for clients separately, as well. Graham’s company recently completed the branding slogan Hometown Charm…World Class Business! for the City of Brockville. McSweeney’s company has recently been engaged to prepare an economic development strategy for the Municipality of North Grenville.

The McSweeney entry contained detailed analysis of the local economy and recommended industry sectors targeted for attraction. It also contained an extensive section on marketing to assist with implementing the steps outlined in the report.

For more information, contact:

KINGSTON – Canada’s oldest military training university has a new building on campus. A new interpretive Pavilion sits adjacent to the College’s landmark Memorial Arch, telling the story of the Arch, and the history of the College.

The Pavilion is a compact but highly visible structure located on the ‘Hero’s Trail’ along the waterfront, and is accessible to cadets and their families, joggers, and visitors to the Campus. The structure consists of limestone columns rising from flagstone flooring, and supporting a copper-coloured heritage style metal roof. Inside are four colourful text and graphic panels. Pedestrians can enter the Pavilion from all four directions.

The Pavilion was designed by communications firm TD Graham and Associates, based in Kemptville, who were responsible for all architectural and engineering drawings and specifications, as well as research, writing, creating the graphics and final artwork for the panels.

The project was initiated by Engineering Officer Curt Munroe, of CFB Kingston. "We wanted to created an interpretive display with a difference," stated Munroe. Ross McKenzie, RMC’s historian and Museum Curator coordinated the text and panel contents. The College’s architect, Linda Lausch, supervised the drawings and artwork. Construction of the Pavilion was completed by Heska Contracting of Kingston. Funding for the project came from the RMC Ex-Cadet Club.

David Cavalier, was the architectural designer and part of the TD Graham team. "We wanted the Pavilion to reflect the long history of the College, and the historic Fort Frederick," Cavalier stated. "The stone columns, the roofing, the bastion-shaped landscape features…were all chosen to blend with the historic architecture of the College."

Linda Myers designed the four graphic panels for the Pavilion. "It was challenging squeezing 125 years of history onto four panels, " Myers said. The communications firm was also commissioned to design a series of wayfinding signage to assist visitors in navigating the campus between historic plaques and buildings.

The Pavilion was constructed in time for ex-cadet weekend in the fall. It can be seen from the Iron Bridge causeway heading east out of downtown Kingston.

Protecting your family and environment has never been more prevalent than in today's society. The Dundas Environmental Awareness Group (DEAG) and South Nation Conservation (SNC) have teamed up to increase environmental public awareness in and around your home by creating a handy booklet called 'The Healthy Home Guidebook'.

The book was researched and produced under the direction of a steering committee of several partners, including Stewardship Councils, environmental groups, farmers and homeowners. It is now available in libraries and schools across Dundas County and is believed to be the first of its kind in Ontario.

The guidebook was designed and edited by TD Graham & Associates, an eastern Ontario communications firm with experience in environmental awareness and design. It is a tool that leads users logically through ways to reduce and eliminate environmental health risks around their homes. Knowing about the risks today may help prevent costly clean-ups, repairs and legal troubles in the future. It all starts at home!

DEAG member Carrie Laflamme explained that a partnership with South Nation Conservation was instrumental in seeing the project through to the end. Also, a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation helped the initial edition of the book get published. "The collaborative working arrangement helps even small groups accomplish a lot," said Laflamme.

The second printing was partially made possible through funding from the Eastern Ontario Water Resources Committee (EOWRC) and Healthy Futures for Ontario Agriculture.

The workbook style makes it easy for rural property owners to rate how their activities affect their health and their land. Each of the 11 chapters explains possible risks based on a household topic and why people should be concerned. Some of the topics include maintaining wells and septic systems, disposing of household hazardous waste products and saving energy. Illustrations used throughout the book were by the hand of Linda Myers, Senior Art Director, and the design of the book was created by Robyn Miskelly, Graphic Designer.

For more information on how to obtain a copy of The Healthy Home Guidebook, call SNC toll-free 1-877-984-2948.