Politicians are fond of proclaiming their city, region or country as “open for business” but the Canadian Tourism Commission has gone beyond mere words to ensure a smooth cross-border experience for visiting association groups.
“Be it people needing a work permit or customs information to register a meeting for goods-and-services tax rebates (the Canadian equivalent to value-added tax), it’s like one-stop shopping to explain border issues and make an international meeting to Canada simpler,” said Michele Saran, executive director of Business Events Canada, a division of the commission. In addition to specialists who attend to sales calls, the CTC has also developed an e-guide that addresses frequently asked questions. Getting organized for an association event in the eastern provinces of America’s northern neighbor has never been easier.
Ontario: Hip Event Hubs
Toronto, Canada’s largest city as well as its financial hub, received an unusual accolade this year when Vogue magazine named the city’s Queen Street West “the second-coolest neighborhood in the world.” Another fan of Toronto is Jeanne Malone, director of meeting services for the Million Dollar Round Table, an Illinois-based association of financial professionals. “It’s a great city that offers a lot to our members,” said Malone, who recently organized the group’s annual meeting, which was attended by a record 8,700 delegates. “It’s walkable, friendly and we believe the easy accessibility for our non-North American members—which represented over 82 percent of the overall attendance—was a key factor.”
In 2015, transportation options to and from Toronto Pearson International Airport will make it that much easier for visiting groups: Union Pearson Express, a new 25-minute train that connects the airport’s Terminal 1 to downtown’s Union Station, is expected to begin service in the spring.
During its four-day event, the Million Dollar Round Table held functions at various venues, all within walking distance of each other: the Metro Toronto Convention Center; the landmark, 2,630-seat Roy Thomson Hall; the InterContinental/Toronto Centre; and the Fairmont Royal York, which is currently undergoing a multimillion-dollar revamp (500 of its 1,363 guest rooms are expected to be completely renovated by late January).
Malone also appreciated the competitive costs and the fact that most facilities could handle goods-and-services rebates for the group, “which in turn lessened the time and manpower required to identify and request the refunds directly,” she said.
In addition to the major makeover happening at the Fairmont Royal York, the Sheraton/Centre Toronto is also undergoing a major renovation, scheduled to finish in 2015. November also saw the opening of the 567-room Delta/Toronto, which features 17,000 square feet of meeting space. The Delta is connected to the convention center and the 19,800-seat Air Canada Centre (a sports and entertainment venue) and is adjacent to the 48,292-seat Rogers Centre, whose 143,000 square feet of field-level space can be used for exhibits.
Other event-site choices include the 100-year Casa Loma, a castle with tunnels, turrets and secret passages to explore. It offers groups individual meeting spaces or can be bought out for grand gatherings of up to 1,500. For a sky-high perspective of the city, CN Tower can accommodate up to 600 people for special functions. It was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. East of downtown, the Distillery Historic District is home to the best-preserved collection of Victorian industrial architecture in North America. Attendees can browse its art studios, shops and cafes, and events can be held in three spaces, the largest of which is a historic fermenting cellar for up to 300.
Some 220 miles west is another popular city for international meetings: Windsor, which looks across the Detroit River at Michigan’s largest city. In July, the Canadian Society of Association Executives held its summer summit at the Caesars Windsor Hotel & Casino, with a function at the historic Canadian Club Heritage Centre, once the world headquarters for the Hiram Walker Company distillery. “(The club) is an amazing venue and really a huge gem for Windsor,” said Tracy Blyth, executive director of the group’s Trillium Chapter. “The history around it is wonderful, and it’s right on the river, so it has beautiful views of the Detroit skyline. When we saw it, we thought, ‘We have to have our reception here. People cannot come to Windsor and not see this amazing venue.’”
Windsor’s proximity to Detroit is something Blyth believes most Canadians and Americans don’t realize. “You can’t get any closer to the border,” she said. It’s also a real convenience when it comes to air travel. “A speaker was trying to figure out the most cost-efficient way for airfare, and we said, ‘Just fly to Detroit, take the bus over the bridge and it’s right there.’” Meanwhile, many of the attendees coming from Toronto hopped the train—VIA Rail offers a business-class service called VIA One that appeals to executives—and enjoyed the four-hour ride through a countryside dotted with farms and vineyards.
On the hotel scene, two properties are soon expected to be reflagged: the Hilton/Windsor, which has temporarily become the Waterfront Hotel Downtown Windsor but by mid-2015 will be a Best Western, and the Quality Suites/Downtown Windsor, which is undergoing renovation and is slated to become a Towneplace Suites by Marriott this spring. The University of Windsor’s Conferences & Accommodations Services can work with planners to accommodate up to 370 attendees in its Alumni Hall, and the St. Clair Centre for the Arts can also offer event and lodging options.
Outside of the formal work sessions, attendees might want to break into small groups and explore the countryside via Grape Vine Tours, which offers a tour of 18 wineries on Pelee Island and along the Essex coast.
Another border community that has long appealed to association groups is Niagara Falls. Though the bigger falls are on the U.S. side, the best views can be had from Canada, and the community has developed a variety of ways for visitors to experience and enjoy this thundering natural wonder—from the ground, looking down from a sky needle or the upper floors of a hotel, from a tunnel behind the falls or on a boat tour. In June, Hornblower Niagara Cruises launched catamaran service with service for up to 700 people.
The largest venue for meetings is the Scotiabank Convention Centre, located just 1,600 feet from Horseshoe Falls. It has 288,000 square feet of LEED-certified event space and its executive chef, Shaun Goswell, uses locally grown food and regional wines, maintains an on-site garden, makes cheese and cans fruits and vegetables, among other things. “It is definitely not your typical convention center food and beverage,” said Jacqui Sullivan, director of conferences for the Toronto-based Absolute Conferences & Events. “(There’s) a major focus on fresh local ingredients and a team who is up for the challenge of creating special menus to suit your budget.”
Groups who have met at the convention center in recent years include the Canadian Association of Exposition Management, the Professional Convention Management Association and the Canadian Health Food Association. And the International Association of Admissions Organizations recently selected the center to host its 2019 conference.
Some organization is always meeting in the Canadian capital of Ottawa. The city is headquarters to more than 300 associations and is home to strong technology and education sectors. The leading venue for traditional business is the Shaw Centre (formerly called the Ottawa Convention Centre), which has 200,000 square feet of gold LEED–certified meeting space. In July, it was a runner-up for the title of “World’s Best Convention Centre,” a recognition handed out by the International Association of Congress Centers. The Bank of Canada Museum, which is currently under construction, is expected to open in 2016 with event space. Or, across the river from Parliament Hill, in Gatineau, groups can gather at the Canadian Museum of History (formerly called the Canadian Museum of Civilization). It’s a popular event venue that the government often uses for state dinners.
But Ottawa isn’t all work and no play. Few people realize what a sporty city this is for recreational pursuits and pro sports fans alike. The NHL’s Senators play at the Canadian Tire Center, which can be converted to offer 7,350 square feet of space. And newly transformed is the TD Place at Lansdowne, which made its debut in July with a 24,000-seat stadium and a 10,000-seat arena. TD Place is part of 40-acre development that includes shopping, restaurants and an urban park.
Québec: Impressive and Unconventional
Montréal continues to pile up accolades as a place to do business. In May, the International Congress & Convention Association recognized it as the top North American city to host international conventions and association meetings. As headquarters for 60 international organizations, including the International Air Transport Association, 210 research centers, four universities and thriving life sciences and aerospace industries, Montréal is an important destination for all kinds of association industries. This is also a festive city, with 108 major events on its annual calendar, with everything from flamenco and film festivals to comedy and burlesque celebrations.
In 2012, the 551,520-square-foot Palais des congrès de Montréal—the city’s convention center—completely modernized its IT capabilities and now offers a range of customizable event technologies, e-commerce platforms and complete Wi-Fi coverage throughout the facility for up to 20,000 simultaneous connections. Thanks to ongoing upgrades, there should be high-speed wireless Internet available within a two-mile radius of the center by 2016. Nearby hotels with meeting space include the year-old Courtyard/Montréal Downtown, Le Centre Sheraton, and the Ritz-Carlton/Montréal, which recently added Tiffany & Co. to its retail space and Maison Boulud to its dining options.
Groups can also hold events in some of Montréal’s more architecturally significant buildings. The landmark Marché Bonsecours is one such locale. The domed market building in the heart of Old Montréal has four main halls that can be used for theater-style events of up to 650 or receptions of up to 862. The Théâtre Rialto, which opened in 1924, can accommodate up to 1,165 people for special events, and the neoclassical Théâtre St. James has three event spaces, the largest of which is a 7,000-square-foot ballroom with a 70-foot ceiling, stained glass and stone walls. Smaller groups looking for suitably intimate spaces could work with the Château Dufresne, a 1918 Beaux-Arts manor with four meeting rooms for groups as large as 150. Another spectacular choice is the Olympic Park Tower, built for the 1976 Olympic Games, accessible by a funicular and boasting views of up to 50 miles away; it is home to two rooms, capable of hosting up to 400 people.
About 150 miles upriver is Québec City, where the Centre des congrès de Québec is the choice of numerous organizations. The LEED-certified facility recently completed a $36 million expansion and can now host events as large as 9,000. Its sunny spaces offer views of Old Québec, the Laurentian Mountains and the St. Jean Baptiste Quarter. Several international organizations recently chose to hold their upcoming events in Québec City, the organizers noting its UNESCO World Heritage status, unique attractions and high-quality conference facilities.
In 2017, both the Council of Engineering & Scientific Society Executives and the Medical Image Computing & Computer Assisted Intervention Society have scheduled events in town, with up to 500 and 1,000 attendees, respectively. In 2018, the FBI National Academy Associates plans to hold its National Academy Association Training Conference & Exhibition in Québec City, bringing 1,000 graduates of the FBI Academy in Virginia up for the five-day event. That same year, the city plans to welcome the International Geographical Union’s Regional Conference, which is expected to draw as many as 2,000 attendees. Major meeting hotels include the Delta and the Hilton and the iconic Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, which finished a $66 million renovation this summer.
New Brunswick: Many Happy Returns
The big news around New Brunswick has been the March reopening of the Algonquin Resort in St. Andrews-by-the Sea. Formerly a Fairmont, the property was sold to a local investor who closed it for 18 months to give it the most extensive refurbishment in its 125-year history. The $35 million renovation updated all 233 guest rooms, added an indoor pool and improved its 19,000 square feet of meeting space. The resort also has two restaurants, one of Canada’s top golf courses and a private beach. It is the first Marriott Autograph Collection property in Canada and now operates year-round.
In the provincial capital, Fredericton, association planners can work with the University of New Brunswick and St. Thomas University or head directly to the Fredericton Convention Centre and its 36,000 square feet of space. The adjacent, 709-seat Fredericton Playhouse also welcomes special group events, and the nearby Beaverbrook Art Gallery is filled with Canadian and British art and has function space for up to 350 people.
Recently renovated hotel properties with on-site event space include the Delta/Fredericton, which recently completed a $18 million refurbishment. And what was formerly the Lakeview Inn is now a Holiday Inn & Suites.
Nova Scotia: Big Bounty, Better Events
Halifax is a tier-two city that punches above its weight when it comes to hosting high-profile events and visitors. In 2014, it welcomed the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, the annual Halifax International Security Forum and the Skål International Association’s North American Congress. Sean Buckland, president of the Skål Nova Scotia Chapter, said Halifax beat out 17 other destinations for this year’s congress, which enjoyed a 13 percent increase in registration from last year’s event.
Often compared to a smaller version of Boston, Halifax comprises seven universities (11 percent of its population are students), several of which offer event space as well as available speakers and specialists; the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, a leading ocean research facility that offers group tours; and the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, with nautically themed space for up to 250 people.
Two local tour companies that are often chartered for excursions, Ambassatours Gray Line and Murphy’s Cable Wharf, recently merged to create the country’s largest land and water tour operator. And all kinds of new meeting spaces are in the works downtown. Construction is progressing on the multimillion-dollar Nova Centre, a multiuse complex scheduled to open in 2016 with more than 120,000 square feet of convention space, a hotel and parking spaces. A project nearing completion is the new Halifax Central Library, thought to open by year’s end with meeting rooms, a cafe and a performance hall for up to 250. And on Pier 21, the Canadian Museum of Immigration is doubling in size. The venue, which hosts some 200 special events each year, closed in October but is expected to reopen in May with new and improved event spaces.
In August, the new SilverBirch Conference Center opened downtown with 4,900 square feet of flexible meeting space and a direct connection to a 135-room Homewood Suites and a 181-room Hampton Inn by Hilton, also both new. A number of Halifax hotels have invested in renovations including the Atlantica Hotel, the Cambridge Suites, the Four Points by Sheraton, the Lord Nelson Hotel & Suites, the Prince George Hotel, the Radisson Suite Hotel Halifax and the Westin Nova Scotian.
About an hour’s drive north of Halifax, many groups retreat to Wolfville to stay and meet at the Old Orchard Inn. It has 9,800 square feet of event space and a staff that can arrange tastings at local wineries. For off-site events, Acadia University also welcomes conferences.
About 85 miles west, Digby is home to the world’s largest scallop fleet. In town and overlooking the water is the provincially owned Pines Resort. It offers 85 guest rooms and suites in its main, French-style building, plus 62 more guest rooms in various independent cottages. For meetings, there are six conference rooms, including one with a stage, and amenities range from an 18-hole golf course and hiking trails to a pool and spa.
Along the Northumberland Strait— the body of water separating Nova Scotia from Prince Edward Island—is the university town of Antigonish. St. Francis Xavier University offers accommodations and event space.
Prince Edward Island: growing gatherings
Living up to the cliché “If you build it, they will come,” is the year-old, $25 million Prince Edward Island Convention Center in Charlottetown. The harborfront facility is attached to a 211-room, recently renovated Delta Hotel, and together the two offer more than 50,000 square feet of event space. According to Jo-Ann Thomsen, business development director for Meetings & Conventions Prince Edward Island, the province experienced a 64 percent increase in the number of meetings, and an 80 percent increase in the number of delegates since the opening of the convention center.
Scale is one of Charlottetown’s advantages: It’s a small, safe, walkable city. There are some 300 guest rooms within a five-block walk of the convention center and the nearby Confederation Centre of the Arts, a complex with several event spaces, the largest of which can accommodate up to 900 people. Also downtown is the Culinary Institute of Canada, which has a private dining room that can accommodate up to 165 people and an additional space for receptions of up to 600. Holland College and the University of Prince Edward Island also have conference space. For a more social scene, planners might consider the PEI Brewing Company; it offers 9,000 square feet of space for up to 300 people, including a 20-person boardroom.
In addition to this year’s renovation at the Delta/Prince Edward, the Quality Inn & Suites/Downtown also updated all of its guest rooms. The Quality Inn also runs two historic properties that can be used for retreats: the 11-room Sutherland House and the 14-room Holland Grove House. Both properties date back to the 1850s.
About 25 miles east, in Montague, the 30-room Lanes Riverhouse Inn & Cottages opened recently with 30 guest rooms (as well as 21 two- to three-bedroom cottages) and banquet and conference facilities for up to 100 people.
To the northeast, the town of Cardigan is home to Rodd Brudenell River, run by island-owned Rodd Hotels & Resorts. Groups of up to 250 can meet amid four dedicated event spaces. Rodd Hotels & Resorts offers five properties on Prince Edward Island with meeting space.
Newfoundland: truly unique Offerings
Newfoundland famously describes itself as the far east of the western world, so far east that it has its own time zone—Newfoundland Time, which is 1.5 hours ahead of New York. But despite its distance, St. John’s, the capital, has one of the hottest economies on the continent, thanks to the offshore oil boom.
There are seven new hotels under construction in the area. The St. John’s International Airport is undergoing a $243 million expansion, and the St. John’s Convention Centre is doubling in size, a project expected to finish in 2016 when it will offer 100,000 square feet of space, some 45,000 square feet of which will be divisible. The center is attached to the 7,000-seat Mile One Centre and the region’s largest hotel, the Delta/St. John’s. Another relatively large hotel with meeting space is the Sheraton/Newfoundland (formerly a Fairmont). Or executive groups might opt for the Murray Premises Hotel, a boutique property located in historic fishing warehouses with 1,800 square feet of meeting space.
Associations who count history buffs among their members might be interested in visiting Signal Hill, a national historic site east of downtown that was manned by both Americans and Canadians during World War II. South of town, at Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic Site, planners can organize a formal breakfast in a shore bunker below the 1839 lighthouse, where attendees can watch the sunrise over the most easterly point in North America.
Another unique venue is the Quidi Vidi Brewing Company. It has a private room capable of accommodating up to 100 people as well as a dockside terrace, and its beer is one-of-a-kind: The brewery uses water from icebergs that float past the province. And always popular are iceberg and whale-watching tours.
Seeing is Believing
The provinces of eastern Canada are home to some of the oldest communities in North America—but that doesn’t mean they’re stuck in the past. The meetings industry is important throughout the region and, as a result, hotels are constantly being expanded and upgraded and new convention centers introduced. Though it may seem off the beaten path for some, the history, unique culture and attractions, and international ambiance will quickly win over attendees, making it well worth the trip.