For release: October 26, 2004
Mcguinty Government Promoting Ontario-Grown Produce
Recognizes Retailers with Foodland Ontario Awards
TORONTO - The Ontario government is promoting Ontario-grown produce
by presenting 27 outstanding food retailers with Foodland Ontario awards.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Steve Peters presented the awards at
a ceremony today at the Toronto Congress Centre.
"I'd like to congratulate all of the winners and thank all of the
stores across the province that participate in Foodland Ontario promotions
throughout the year," said Peters. "Ontario consumers recognize
the green and white symbol and associate it with fresh, high quality produce.
I encourage everyone to look for the symbol, support Ontario farmers,
and buy our homegrown fruits and vegetables."
Judging criteria include the impact of the display, the creative and
effective use of Foodland point-of-sale material, cross-merchandising,
the location in the store, and the balance and design of the display.
Several hundred entries vie for the Platinum Year Round Support Award,
the Gold Category Award and the Silver Award of Merit. This year, the
Foodland Ontario Award of Excellence was awarded to A&P #139 in Windsor.
"Fruit and vegetable growers and retailers make a tremendous contribution
to Ontario's agri-food industry. These awards are just one way to recognize
their efforts," said Peters.
The Foodland Ontario Retailer Awards program recognizes grocery retailers
for their innovative promotion of Ontario-grown fruits and vegetables.
A total of 654 entries and more than 3,000 photos were submitted this
year.
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Contact:
Jim James
Foodland Ontario
(519) 826-3946
2004 FOODLAND ONTARIO RETAILER AWARD WINNERS
Platinum All Seasons
Green's IGA, Thornbury
Kropf's IGA Dundalk
Victoria Harbour Foodland
A&P#139, Windsor
Brockville Your Independent Grocer
Commisso's Food Market, Brantford
Loeb Brockville
McDaniel's Your Independent Grocers, Nepean
Morello's Your Independent Grocer, Peterborough
Sobeys Angus
Zehrs Highland Hills, Kitchener
Zehrs Uxbridge
Real Canadian Superstore, Leamington
Gold - Seasonal
Bartlett's valu-mart, Ridgetown
Commisso's Food Market South Pelham, Welland
Trenton Your Independent Grocer
Zehrs Beechwood, Waterloo
Gold - Creative
Clarke's Foodland, Dorchester
Loeb Island Park, Ottawa
Country Produce, Orillia
Longo Brothers Fruit Market Ltd., Burlington
Zehrs Stanley Park, Kitchener
Gold - Cross-Merchandised
Port Sydney Foodland
Listowel Foodland
Sobeys Lansdowne, Peterborough
Market Street Price Chopper, Brantford
Zehrs Listowel
Silver Award of Merit
Barrie/Huronia
Barrie IGA
Craighurst IGA
Hopes Foodland, Novar
Wasaga Beach IGA
Zehrs Big Bay Point, Barrie
Grey/Bruce
Scrimgeours Food Market, Blyth
Tilbury Foodland
Zehrs Markets, Stratford
Hamilton/Niagara
Cayuga IGA
Barn Market, Hamilton
Kingston
Trousdale's IGA, Sydenham
Maynard's Your Independent Grocer, Cornwall
Kitchener/Waterloo
New Hamburg Foodland
Waterford IGA
A&P, Simcoe
Elmira IGA
London/Sarnia
Zehrs Strathroy
Real Canadian Superstore, St. Thomas
Mississauga/Oakville/Burlington
Longo's Fruit Market, Brampton
Loblaws Port Credit Landing, Mississauga
Oshawa/Peterborough
Lakefield IGA
A&P #106, Whitby
Newcastle IGA
Ottawa
A&P, Ottawa
Loeb City View, Nepean
Kanata Lakes Loblaws, Kanata
Loeb Fallingbrook, Orleans
Sudbury
Smith's Market, Sudbury
Dumas Your Independent Grocer, Sudbury
Steve's Independent, Sudbury
Toronto East/Scarborough
Dominion, Scarborough
Toronto West
Loblaws Queen's Quay, Toronto
Windsor
Blenheim Sobeys
Real Canadian Superstore, Windsor
Zehrs North Maple, Chatham
BACKGROUNDER
FOODLAND ONTARIO RETAILER AWARDS
The Foodland Ontario Retailer Awards program recognizes grocery retailers
for their innovative promotion of Ontario-grown fruits and vegetables.
Each year, approximately 1,250 stores across the province are involved
in the promotion of Ontario produce. Stores submit photographs of their
promotions and displays to qualify for the awards.
There are four award categories. The Platinum Year Round Support Award
recognizes merchandising excellence with Ontario grown commodities through
three seasons: spring, summer and winter. The Gold Category Award distinguishes
excellence at both chain and independent stores in three specific categories:
seasonal, creative and cross-merchandised. The Silver Award of Merit honours
excellence in promoting Ontario produce in a display. The Foodland Ontario
Award of Excellence is presented to the top-scoring Ontario retailers,
in each store size category, that have won the Platinum Award for consistent
year-round merchandising achievement for two years in a row.
Retailers partner with Foodland Ontario because it is a successful marketing
program that offers them a competitive edge. Based on research findings,
there is a high degree of consumer trust in Ontario-grown produce. The
Foodland Ontario symbol has tremendous recognition with consumers looking
and asking for Foodland Ontario by name. For more than 25 years, consumers
have identified the stylized trillium with homegrown freshness and quality.
The award is co-sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and
Food in partnership with Ontario Asparagus Growers' Marketing Board, Ontario
Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association, Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable
Growers, Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Marketing Board, Ontario Apple
Growers and Ontario Potato Board.
Highlighting this year's promotional activities were a pyramid with baskets
of fruit surrounded by balloons with a Foodland Ontario flag on top; an
old fashioned fruit stand in store with baskets of fruit surrounded by
complementary items; and a fruit and vegetable display based on the Olympic
theme.
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Contact:
Jim James
Foodland Ontario
(519) 826-3946
