The Town of Smiths Falls is pleased to announce that two Smiths Falls’ projects have been named as finalists in the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) 2020 Awards of Excellence. The Town of Smiths Falls’ PICNIC program, along with the Smiths Falls & District Chamber of Commerce and Smiths Falls Downtown Business Association (DBA) Local Subscription box programs were among the 24 projects selected as finalists.
“We are honoured to see Smiths Falls projects selected as finalists for the awards of excellence,” said Mayor Shawn Pankow. “These projects reflect the strong partnerships we have in the community and the hard work that the town, the Chamber of Commerce, the DBA, and the public who took part in these programs have done to support our business community.”
The Smiths Falls’ PICNIC program ran between June and November 2020. This program distributed 403 picnic boxes generating $17,000 in revenue for participating businesses. The Smiths Falls Local Subscription Box program has to date generated approximately $30,000 in revenue for 26 participating businesses through the sale of more than 340 subscription boxes.
The EDCO Awards of Excellence is an annual program coordinated through the EDCO Awards Committee and seeks distinctive ideas and initiatives that can become economic development best practices in future. This year’s awards included a new award for Innovation in Community Resiliency that reflects the efforts made to encourage resiliency and reduce the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 application process saw 105 submissions for the EDCO Awards of Excellence. A judging panel with expertise in marketing, communications, tourism, workforce development and industrial/commercial development evaluated each entry.
The winners of the 2020 Awards of Excellence will be announced at the 64th annual Economic Development Conference & Showcase – Evolve ON – which takes place Wednesdays between Jan. 20 and Feb. 24, 2021.
