Cast Your People's Choice Ballot Today! 

For Immediate Release
2/26/2010 
Contact: Melissa Stephens, Tourism Information Coordinator 
Phone: 519-751-9900 

Tourism Brantford is pleased to announce that voting for the People’s Choice Awards will begin on Monday, March 1, 2010 and run until March 31, 2010 as part of the 7th Annual Shining Stars Tourism Awards.

Cast your vote on ballots that will be published in The Expositor and Your Brant Connection, and simply drop them off at either The Expositor, 53 Dalhousie Street, or the Brantford Visitor & Tourism Centre, 399 Wayne Gretzky Parkway. 

New for 2010!  Online voting will be available by visiting either www.brantfordexpositor.com or www.shiningstarsawards.com and clicking on the link to the contest website.

The People’s Choice Awards include:

1. Best Family/Casual Dining Restaurant
A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffet-style restaurants, casual dining restaurants typically provide table service. Casual dining comprises a market segment between fast food establishments and fine dining restaurants. Casual dining restaurants usually have a full bar with separate bar staff, a larger beer menu and a limited wine menu.

2. Best Fine Dining Restaurant
Fine dining restaurants are full service restaurants with specific dedicated meal courses. Décor of such restaurants feature higher quality materials with an eye towards the "atmosphere" desired by the restaurateur. The wait staff is usually highly trained and often wears more formal attire.

3. Best Attraction
An attraction is defined as a natural site, a man made facility, an establishment or an area that generates visitation by providing an opportunity for individuals to participate in activities or experiences.

4. NEW! Best Downtown Hot Spot
This award is presented to a business or other organization that is located in downtown Brantford and has positively impacted tourism in the downtown core. The qualifying area is defined by the BIA and consists of the loop between Icomm Drive at the south end, heading north to West St ending at Nelson St., and then east to Clarence St. and back south to Icomm Drive.

Ballots will appear in The Expositor and Your Brant Connection on the following dates:

The Expositor:

  • Tuesday, March 2
  • Friday, March 5
  • Tuesday, March 9
  • Friday, March 12
  • Tuesday, March 16
  • Friday, March 19
  • Tuesday, March 23
  • Tuesday, March 30

Your Brant Connection:

  • March 4
  • March 11
  • March 18
  • March 25

Rules & Regulations:

  • All ballots must be placed in the Ballot Boxes located at the Expositor (53 Dalhousie St) and Brantford Visitor & Tourism Centre (399 Wayne Gretzky Parkway) by March 31, 2010 no later than 4:30 p.m.
  • Self nominations will not be accepted in this category.
  • Only original newspaper ballots will be accepted. Photocopies or faxes not accepted. 
  • Online voting: you must create a username and password that you will use each time you login to cast a vote. Note: you may only vote for one award category per day. 
  • All votes tabulated by BDO Dunwoody LLP after March 31, 2010.
  • BDO Dunwoody LLP has the right to remove a ballot that does not fit the category and if the nominee has won in the category the previous year.

Winners will be announced at the Shining Stars Tourism Awards, set to be held at the Best Western Brant Park Inn & Conference Centre, on May 6, 2010. Tickets are $45.00 + GST or $315.00 + GST for a corporate table of eight.

The 2010 Shining Star Tourism Awards are brought to you by Tourism Brantford, and made possible through sponsorships from OLG, The Expositor, Six Nations/New Credit Marketing Collective, BDO Dunwoody LLP, Kirby's Bar & Buffet, Ferrero and Spence Print Solutions.

If you have any questions about the Tourism Awards, please contact Donna Clements, Tourism Business Development Officer, 519-751-9900 ext. 204, or click here to send her an email.  This will open in a new browser window.