Downtowns of Durham amongst Regional initiatives to receive national recognition at EDAC Awards

Whitby, Ontario – Downtowns of Durham, along with two other Regional initiatives, have received national recognition at the Economic Developers Association of Canada’s (EDAC) Annual Marketing Canada Awards.

DowntownsOfDurham.ca was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In early March 2020, the Durham Economic Task Force (DETF) was formed, and through conversations with Business Improvement Area (BIA) leaders the DETF determined that, due to the limited ability to promote events and the halting of tourism, the downtown and main street areas of Durham Region would face an array of business challenges and be hit hard economically.

As a result, the Downtowns of Durham project was created to promote the downtown and main street areas, supporting them during closures and restrictions, with a view to also support their recovery. The site includes a searchable database of businesses organized by geography, and contains information about COVID-specific business offerings, such as curbside pick-ups. In partnership with the BIAs of Durham Region, as well as local area economic development teams, the website launched in May 2020 and now has over 850 business listings.

Each of the 14 downtown areas on the site includes a business directory that is searchable by map or by category, and the site also has a blog-style section for stories written by residents; sharing their favourite shops and restaurants, and reasons to visit each downtown. 

This project is part of DETF’s economic support and recovery plan. To learn more about Invest Durham’s COVID-19 response, visit InvestDurham.ca/CovidResponse.

In addition to the Downtowns of Durham project, the Region also received national recognition for the 2019 Invest Durham Annual Report and Vertical Farming campaign. To learn more about the awards, visit edac.ca.

Quotes 

“Congratulations to Regional staff on these prestigious awards and for once again showcasing Durham Region’s economic leadership. Not only does the Downtowns of Durham project highlight the need to support local as a community, but the Vertical Farming Campaign and 2019 Invest Durham Annual Report highlight the important work being done to market our region as investment worthy.”

- John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO

“Each of these awards highlights the economic achievements of not only the Region, but of our community partners. The Downtowns of Durham project wouldn’t have been possible without the Durham Economic Task Force and our partners on the project – the Durham BIAs. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Durham businesses have faced many challenges, and this project is just one example of how we’ve been able to work jointly together to support our business community in recovering from the impacts of the pandemic.”

- Simon Gill, Director of Economic Development and Tourism, Region of Durham

Quick Facts 

• EDAC is Canada’s national organization of economic developers pursuing excellence in the field since 1968. With over 1,000 members from coast to coast to coast, EDAC delivers a comprehensive professional development program, networking opportunities, and tools and resources for economic development in Canada. To learn more, visit edac.ca. 
• The Downtowns of Durham project was awarded the Marketing Canada Award in the Recovery Project/Plan category (in the section of $600,000+ total economic development operating budget). The Region’s Economic Development and Tourism team was also awarded in the Social Media/APP category for their Vertical Farming campaign, and in the Single Publication (less than five pages) category for the 2019 Invest Durham Annual Report. 
• The 2019 Invest Durham Annual Report is a high-level summary of the activities undertaken by the Region’s Economic Development and Tourism Division to inform the local community on important economic development initiatives. Produced in-house, it provides an economic snapshot and features on entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives, sector development, as well as awards and recognized achievements. 
• The Vertical Farming campaign was developed to increase awareness among influencers and decision makers that vertical farming is a compelling economic development opportunity in Durham Region.  
• DETF is made up of the Region of Durham’s Economic Development and Tourism team, all eight local area municipalities, Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), the Business Advisory Centre Durham (BACD), all Durham Chambers and Boards of Trade, Durham College, Ontario Tech University, and Trent University Durham GTA. The purpose of the task force is to advocate for the urgent needs of our business community and support the delivery of various programs to eligible businesses in Durham Region, in response to the COVID-19 crisis. To learn more, visit InvestDurham.ca/CovidResponse.

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For more information, contact Corporate Communications.