National Post Awards Recognize Leadership of Five Canadian Companies

October 12, 2005

The 2005 National Post Awards for Business in the Arts Awards were presented last night at a gala celebration at the Neptune Theatre in Halifax.

Alcan, Orlick Industries and Investors Group were the top award winners. HSBC Securities and local Halifax company Office Interiors Group were presented with the Awards of Distinction.

The jury acclaimed Alcan as the winner of the Most Effective Corporate Program category for the creation and sustenance of the Alcan Performing Arts Award for British Columbia - the largest award of its kind in Canada. For each of the past six years Alcan has provided $60,000 to the Vancouver East Cultural Centre to select a BC-based arts company working in music/opera, dance or theatre to create new work. Alcan has renewed its support of the juried prize for a further three years making its total commitments $540,000 to date

In the category of Most Innovative Marketing Sponsorship, the jury declared another BC company as the Award winner. Investors Group's Pacific division has had a long relationship with the Arts Club Theatre, as production and tour sponsor, and last year they approached the theatre with an idea for a third sponsorship: to host a performance for volunteers during National Volunteer Week. Choosing the production of Carol Shield's Unless, the company hosted 200 volunteers from a range of Vancouver charities - thereby introducing many to the theatre for the first time.

Orlick Industries' timely and strategic support of the Art Gallery of Hamilton may literally have saved the Gallery's life and earned Orlick recognition as the Award Winner in the category of Best Arts/Entrepreneur Partnership. Seven years ago the gallery was faced with enormous financial challenges and Orlick stepped in and underwrote all admissions to the gallery - the gallery was open free to the public. At the end of the first year attendance had doubled and voluntary donations at the door actually exceeded the amount of paid admissions the year before. As juror Paul Lowenstein said, "As a member of the board of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, I can tell you every museum could use such a sponsor!"

Each of the three Award winners received a bronze sculpture created by the late William McElcheran, an internationally renowned Canadian artist who left an artistic legacy of whimsical bronze businessmen

The jury singled out HSBC Securities with an Award of Distinction in the category of Most Innovative Marketing Sponsorship, for its astute sponsorship of Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra - which reaches the same elite market that HSBC wants to attract and nurture, and shares the same characteristic of "punching above its weight".

Office Interiors Group won an Award of Distinction in the category of Best Arts/Entrepreneur Partnership. Led by the example of CEO Jim Mills' active involvement as a director and, later, Board President, of Neptune Theatre, the Group's employees have taken on the creation and production of annual fund raising events for the theatre. Over the past few years the company has raised over $100,000 for the theatre.