Time to vote for your favorite place in Canada during the Great Places in Canada contest

OTTAWA, Aug. 20, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Which locations will join the ranks of Canada's Great Places this year?

It's now time to cast your vote for your favourite street, neighbourhood and public space during the Great Places in Canada contest, hosted by the Canadian Institute of Planners. Thirty-two locations are in the running, and the competition is expected to be fierce.

Go to www.greatplacesincanada.ca where you can cast your ballot and help decide the winners. The voting period is open until September 25. The nominees this year are:

Kensington, Calgary, AB
Inglewood, Calgary, AB
Broadmoor Lake Park and the Centre in the Park, Strathcona County, AB
South End, Nanaimo, BC
White Rock Pier and Promenade, White Rock, BC
Sproat Lake, Port Alberni, BC
Parksville community Park, Parksville, BC
St. Boniface, Winnipeg, MB
McAdam Lake Campground, McAdam, NB
Town of Sackville Waterfowl Park, Sackville, NB
The Hawk at Cape Sable Island, NS
The Barrington River, Barrington, NS
The South End, Halifax, NS
Antigonish Town & County Library, Antigonish, NS
Somba K'e Civic Plaza, Yellowknife, NWT
Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
McCreary's Beach Resort, Perth, ON
Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, Ottawa, ON
Spencer Smith Park, Burlington, ON
Blackfriars Bridge, London, ON
Laurier Woods, North Bay, ON
Old East Village, London, ON
Downtown Port Hope, Port Hope, ON
Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System, Hamilton/Burlington, ON
Victoria Park, Kitchener, ON
Blockhouse Island, Brockville, ON
Historic Great George Street, Charlottetown, PEI
Îles de la Madeleine, Îles de la Madeleine, QC
Wakefield Village, Wakefield, QC
La rue du Petit-Champlain, Quebec, QC
Quartier Petit Champlain, Quebec, QC
Kiwanis Memorial Park, Saskatoon, SK

"Every year, the voting period is exciting to watch as Canadians really try to promote their favourite places and put them on the map," says Michael Gordon, President of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) which hosts the competition.

Six nominations will take home the honours, either as People's Choice winners based on overall numbers of votes, or as the Grand Prize winners based on planning excellence and as determined by Canadian planners. Winning nominators will receive fabulous prize packages, which include a combination of $500 gift certificates from VIA Rail Canada, Kodak ProPix cameras, Acer Iconia tablets and Tim Hortons gift cards. CIP is honoured to have VIA Rail Canada and Tim Hortons as this year's official prize sponsors!

Each Grand Prize-winning place will receive a beautiful steel plaque to mark the place for all to see and enjoy in the years to come. Make sure to get your vote in before September 25.

Facts at a glance for the 2014 edition of the Great Places in Canada contest:

Two "South End" neighbourhoods will be battling it out for the title of Canada's Great Neighbourhood: Nanaimo's South End (British Columbia) and Halifax's The South End (Nova-Scotia).

Ontario is in the lead with 11 nominations, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Quebec are tied with four nominations Great Public Space is by far the favorite category this year, featuring 19 nominations, followed by 11 Great Neighbourhoods and two Great Streets.

Follow Great Places in Canada on Facebook and @GreatPlacesCA on Twitter for regular updates. Tell your friends, tell your family! Spread the word about this Great contest far and wide!

Photos of last year's winners are available at www.greatplacesincanada.ca/en/media.asp

For interviews, contact:
Niki Kerimova
niki@prpost.ca
416-777-0368

Megan Stephens
megan@prpost.ca
416-777-0368

VIA Rail Canada, as the national rail passenger service, provides efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost-effective passenger transportation to Canadian travellers, and service in both official languages. Every week VIA operates 503 intercity, transcontinental and regional trains linking 450 communities across its 12,500 kilometers route network. VIA transports over four million passengers annually. Please visit www.viarail.ca.

The Canadian Institute of Planners has a membership of 7,800 professional planners, and collaborates with provincial affiliates to set professional standards for training, certification and best practices in planning across Canada. Please visit www.cip-icu.ca.