Archive for April, 2009
Publishing Central Interviews Escarpment Views
April 30th 2009We’re pleased to have been invited to give an interview about Escarpment Views to Ian Scott of Publishing Central. You can read the interview here. And for interviews with some other independent publishers, take a look here.
Audrey Tournay’s Great Work at Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary
April 24th 2009CTV’s W5 aired a segment about Aspen Valley Wildlife Sanctuary a few weeks ago. This is a wonderful organization that rescues and nurtures abandoned and injured wild animals and birds.
I would love to do a huge feature article on their work, but they are in Rosseau, Ontario, well outside the Niagara Escarpment territory that we cover in Escarpment Views.
The best I can do right now is mention them here and urge you to check out their site. If the spirit moves you, you might send them a donation, as I did. I believe that if enough people send even small contributions, it can be a big help.
To my delight, today I received not only a tax receipt, but a letter from founder Audrey Tournay, giving news of what’s happening at the sanctuary these days. “The bear cubs are all waking up – and just as soon as food is available in the wild, we will be taking the cubs, individually, to remote places where they can live relatively safe lives. The fawns will be released – and the raccoons who were either not old enough or well enough to go last fall, or who have come in during the winter. The squirrels will go, and the porcupine…anyway, life is not dull just now!”
This is the nicest acknowledgement I’ve ever received from a charity. It makes me feel, in a small way, that I’m part of the community that’s doing good work for our wildlife. I only wish I could do more.
Friendly, Eagle-Eyed Owen Sounders
April 22nd 2009On Sunday we went to the Home & Cottage Expo at the Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound. The City of Owen Sound had placed an ad in our spring issue promoting it, so we were interested in checking it out. Claimed to be “The Greatest Home Show in Cottage Country,” it had “150 displays indoors and out with the best builders, home improvement specialists and suppliers of everything for the home and cottage.”
The setting of the community centre is beautiful, right on the water, with paths and benches that invite you to take a long walk. But we came to meet the exhibitors. We are show veterans by now, having gone to more trade shows, garden shows, home shows and ecofests than we can count, but we were surprised by this show in Owen Sound.
Everyone we met was friendly, open and genuinely interested in us. At shows in “the south” we often see exhibitors lose their smiles and turn away from our media badges. Perhaps they are too often hounded by ad sales people with poor publications. At the Owen Sound Home & Cottage Expo, exhibitors welcomed us and liked the look of Escarpment Views.
When I bought a pair of ratcheting hand clippers, I was thanked for my custom. These exhibitors know how to treat people. Good for you, Owen Sound!
The Case of the Missing L
One of the organizers of the Expo, Doug Cleverley of the City of Owen Sound, was the first and so far only person to spot a typo on the cover of our spring issue. His eagle eye saw that we are missing the “l” in “Reflecting” in our mission statement beneath the magazine name.
Embarrassing for me, the editor, who should have caught this error, but well done, Doug! And thanks for letting us know in time for us to correct the electronic version for the Web.
Dave Fleet to Speak to Halton-Peel Communications Association
April 07th 2009Some of our writers are members of Halton-Peel Communications Association (HPCA). I’m a member myself. If you are self employed in the communications field, and live or work in Halton or Peel Regions, this is a great professional development group to join. Here is some information about a public event that will cover various kinds of social media.
If social media is the new language of business communication, many organizations still need a translator. On Thursday, April 16, 2009, HPCA will host guest speaker Dave Fleet, an online communications professional, to discuss tools and trends in social media.
The key element of social media is interaction. You can read or listen to what others are saying, but also participate by posting information yourself. The most well-known example is Facebook, but there are many more.
“We know that social media is still a mystery to many,” said Judy Snyder, co-president of HPCA. “Dave is going to focus on what we need to know to participate in social media in ways that help us grow our businesses.”
Fleet’s background includes stints in marketing and communications for major corporations and public sector organizations, including Hitachi Europe and the Ontario government. Today he is a senior consultant for Thornley Fallis Communications.
“You can think of social media as a set of tools that organizations can use for a variety of purposes,” Fleet says. “It could be customer service, branding, promotion, or relationship management. Just as with any toolkit, you’re not going to use every tool every time. Sometimes a blog will fit perfectly, while other times YouTube might be a more suitable tool.”
The April 16 event will be held at the Monte Carlo Inn Airport Suites at 7035 Edwards Blvd. in Mississauga. Networking starts at 6:30 p.m. and the session will run from 7 to 9 p.m. HPCA members are free and non-members pay $20, which can be used towards the cost of membership if taken out within two weeks. Students with I.D. pay only $10.
Deadline for registration is April 9. For more information or to reserve seats, visit www.hpcaonline.org.
Halton-Peel Communications Association is a growing network of independent communications professionals offering a complete portfolio of services for corporate, marketing and internal communications. Members come from a wide variety of disciplines and skill sets, including marketing and corporate communications, graphic design, photography, and website development.
