Toronto, Ontario (June 8, 2017) –The Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (CHCA) at George Brown College announced today the launch of Canadian Treasures, an initiative to spotlight the accomplishments of culinary, hospitality and tourism trailblazers across Canada.
As Canadians mark the nation’s 150th anniversary, Canadian Treasures will likewise celebrate by honouring distinguished organizations in the areas of food, beverage, hospitality, accommodation and tourism. The initiative highlights the critical role these organizations play as best in class leaders, in showcasing the best qualities of their regions, and in advancing local economic and cultural development.
“Canadian Treasures celebrates those innovators who make a real difference in terms of building great businesses and delivering culinary, hospitality and tourism experiences that help their regions become prime destinations,” says Lorraine Trotter, Dean, CHCA, George Brown College. “We hope that by highlighting Canada’s culinary, hospitality and tourism gems, we will demonstrate the many great features of this industry to Canadians and to tourists worldwide.”
As an ongoing, inclusive and non-competitive program, Canadian Treasures will continue to commend notable hospitality and tourism organizations into 2018 and beyond. Four to six high- performing organizations, such as restaurants, farmers and food providers, accommodation properties, brewers and vineyards, tourist attractions, festivals and vacation spots, will be recognized annually. CHCA will hold a range of celebratory events including tours of the organizations’ operations, Chefs’ House events, student study tours, food and beverage tastings and culinary workshops.
Learning Opportunities
George Brown is committed to delivering excellence and innovation in helping students prepare for the workplace. An important benefit of Canadian Treasures is the involvement of students in hands-on learning beyond the classroom. As part of the initiative, students will participate in field placements and regional travel, enabling them to discover the industry’s top employers and develop job relevant skills to succeed in the future.
2017 Canadian Treasures honourees:
Norman Hardie Winery and Prince Edward County, Ontario
Food Day Canada
Devour! The Food Film Fest and The Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia
“We are thrilled to recognize these three outstanding organizations as our inaugural Canadian Treasures,” says Trotter. “Each organization exemplifies the richness and diversity of the culinary, hospitality and tourism sector and contributes to the industry in a meaningful way.”
Quick Facts
Travel and tourism is an important economic driver. The tourism industry is a $90-billion- dollar sector, with approximately 1.6 million Canadian jobs dependent on economic activity generated by travel and tourism.
Travel and tourism is a dynamic, sustainable and vastly diverse industry, comprised of innovative businesses in every region of the country including transportation, accommodations, food and beverage and attractions. It employs over 1.7 million Canadians, with 1 in 11 Canadian jobs directly involved with travelers.
The New York Times, Lonely Planet and Condé Nast all recognized Canada as the top international destination for 2017.
Source: Tourism Industry Association of Canada
About The Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at George Brown College
CHCA provides world-class education to over 3,000 full-time and 8,500 continuing education students every year. Programs are developed in consultation with industry experts and taught by a distinguished group of experienced faculty. Most importantly, CHCA underpins classroom study with experiential learning through study tours, field placements, training at The Chefs’ House restaurant, and in state of the art labs. www.georgebrown.ca/hca
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For more information, or to schedule interviews, please contact:
Joyann Callender
Media Relations Manager George Brown College 416-415-5000 ext. 3159 jcallender3@georgebrown.ca
Devour! The Food Film Fest
Holmes PR
Adrienne Kakoullis
416.628.5610
akakoullis@holmespr.com
