IPREX RECRUITS TORONTO’S THE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP INC. AND BOOSTS NEW REAL ESTATE PRACTICE
 
ATLANTA, GA – 8 October, 2008

The Communications Group Inc (TCG) based in Toronto, Canada, is the latest firm elected to IPREX, the worldwide corporation of independent PR firms.
 
TCG (www.tcgpr.com) has built a first-class national reputation in the real estate sector, currently representing clients such as: Residences at the Ritz-Carlton, Toronto, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Toronto, Daniels Corporation and Aspen Ridge Homes.
 
In addition, the firm has a well-regarded high-tech practice, working with such companies as McAfee, Inc. and OKI Printing Solutions. TCG also represents professional services firms such as WeirFoulds LLP and has worked with food service/hospitality companies such as Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
 
TCG complements the corporate, financial and government relations work of IPREX partner firm Wertheim & Company, also in Toronto, and adds new skills to the organization’s wider Canadian operation (Hedlin Lauder Communications, in Calgary, AB and Peak Communicators, in Vancouver, BC).
 
IPREX President North America, Gwinavere Johnston (JohnstonWells PR, Denver) said, “Several of us have first-hand experience of TCG’s professionalism, and are looking forward to expanding our working relationship with them. Under TCG’s Managing Partner, Rhoda Eisenstadt, their team brings new perspectives to our Canadian network and will play an important role in the IPREX Real Estate Communications Counsel we have just launched.”
 
TCG Founding Partner David Eisenstadt brings considerable international experience to IPREX, having served as International Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Public Relations Society of America Counselors Academy and as Chairman of Pinnacle Worldwide.
 
About IPREX
 IPREX (www.iprex.com) is one of the world’s major corporations of independent public relations firms. Founded in 1983 its 63 partners have 84 offices in 28 countries throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific, with annual revenues of $112m.  Its 1,000 professionals provide a comprehensive range of services for some of the world’s most successful companies
 
IPREX media enquiries
David Watson: davidw@campaignteam.biz +44 1273 845462
 
IPREX
Bobbie Goodwin: experts@iprex.com +1 770 763 5846

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PIZZA NOVA MAKES RECORD DONATION TO VARIETY VILLAGE 86,000 PIZZAS SOLD IN 10 HOURS

TORONTO – May, 07



It’s official! Pizza Nova's 8th annual That's Amore Pizza For Kids fundraising event in support of Variety Village - The Children's Charity raised a record-breaking total $85,962 – that’s just under 86,000 pizzas sold in only 10 hours!
Pizza Nova's Executive Vice President Domenic Primucci (sixth from left) along with Pizza Nova employees, presented a cheque to Variety's President/CEO Lynne Wallace at the annual cheque presentation celebrated with Variety Ambassadors (second row l-r) Matthew Hoffman, Cynthia Berringer (front row l-r), Joshua Bell, Joshua MacDonald, Emily Bell and Justyn Bell. Over the past eight years this Pizza Nova initiative has raised over $500,000 for Variety.

About Pizza Nova
Founded in 1963, Toronto-based Pizza Nova is a family-operated business with over 100 locations in Southern Ontario. Specializing in fresh toppings, Pizza Nova serves over 4 million pizzas annually, and offers a wide range of menu items including salads, lasagna, panzerotti, toasted sandwiches, chicken wings and jumbo spicy green olives. Pizza Nova locations offer delivery, pickup and some sit-down service. Visit HYPERLINK "http://www.pizzanova.com/" www.pizzanova.com.

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"The Peter Shurman Show" was broadcast live from the Simon Wiesenthal Center/Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles, April 23-24/07.  Interviewees (l-r) included the Center's Dean & Founder, Rabbi Marvin Hier; Leo Adler, Director, National Affairs, Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies and the Center's Associate Dean, Rabbi Abraham Cooper. Shurman was one of 10 Canadian print, broadcast and online visiting journalists, facilitated by the Center's Canadian Communications Counsel David Eisenstadt.

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YOUNG TRANS-CANADA BIKE RIDER RAISES MONEY FOR MIKEY NETWORK DEFIBRILLATORS

TORONTO, May 31, 2006

Mark Longo, a university architecture student, is partway through a trans-Canada solo bike trip that will see him arrive in Kenora, Ontario, by Thursday, June 1/06. Mark is currently traveling east along Highway #1. He left Winnipeg this afternoon and will be stopping in Reynolds, Manitoba, tonight.

See bike trip progress on http://www.transcanada06.mlongo.com.

Mark is riding to raise money for The Mikey Network, a charity that places Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) in public high-risk areas across the Greater Toronto Area with the hope of providing cardiac arrest victims a second chance at life.

Starting in Victoria, B.C. on May 1, Mark has been battling high winds and less than ideal weather since he crossed the Rockies on May 13th. It will take him approximately eight weeks to complete the journey, which is expected to end July 9 in St. John's, Newfoundland & Labrador.

Through his efforts, Mark expects to raise $175,000 -- enough to buy 50 defibrillators for The Mikey Network. The charity is named after Michael Hart Salem, a former executive with Heathwood Homes and the former business partner of Mark's father Silvio Longo.

Mark is currently a fourth year student at the University of Waterloo, in Waterloo, Ontario.

Individual donations to help support Mark's TransCanada ride and The Mikey Network can be made at http://www.mikeynetwork.com.

For more information on the TransCanada06 ride and to follow Mark's daily updates as he makes his way across The Prairies and into Ontario, visit the Transcanada06 Web site.

PIZZA NOVA INTRODUCES FRESH BRUSCHETTA TO THE MIX! (Breath mints not included)

 
AFFORDABLE HOMEOWNERSHIP PROJECT BEGINS CONSTRUCTION

March 9, 2006

TORONTO _ The Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and The Daniels Corporation marked construction today with a "concrete pour" to launch an affordable housing development in Toronto called WAVE Lakeshore West. The partnership will build 178 affordable studio, one and two bedroom condominium units for sale to low-to-moderate income households.  

The Daniels Corporation will offer the units below the average market-selling price under its 'Triple 5' Downpayment Assistance Program.  The project will receive $1.61 million from the federal and provincial governments under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program (AHP).

Raking the poured concrete and flanking Ontario Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Hon. John Gerretsen (third from left) and Dino Chiesa, Chairman of the Board, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (second from right) are executives from The Daniels Corporation (l-r) Tom Dutton, Senior Vice President; John Daniels, Founder and Chair; Mitchell Cohen, President and Martin Blake, Vice President, Project Implementation.

(Photo: Paul Casselman)

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton wows crowd at Toronto fundraiser
(Ont-Clinton-Speech)
Source: Toronto Sun

MaRCH 6, 2006

TORONTO (CP) _ More than 1,750 of Ontario's movers and shakers stood and applauded Bill Clinton as he took the podium.
With his signature smile and a wave, the 42nd U.S. president spoke Sunday at the Toronto Centre for the Arts.

He spoke at a fundraiser for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, an organization that strives to end anti-Semitism. Attorney General Michael Bryant, Toronto Mayor David Miller, federal NDP Leader Jack Layton and Ontario Opposition Leader John Tory were among those at the sold-out event.

The event raised nearly $1.3 million.

Clinton drew applause when he said peace in the Middle East exists as a real possibility.

"We don't need to throw up our hands in despair,'' he said.

"We can't stop believing that in the end we can build a garden in the desert because I believe we can.''

In his 45-minute speech, Clinton focused on trouble in the Middle East, specifically the Hamas leadership in the Palestinian territories.

"They won because people think they are harder working, more efficient,'' he said, noting a majority of Palestinians say they desire peace with Israel.

"It doesn't mean we can just ignore a core commitment to terrorism and the destruction of Israel,'' Clinton said.

"Democracy is more than winning an election.''

TETRA PAK LAUNCHES CREATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGE IN SCHOOL ROOMS ACROSS CANADA
Program Combines Education, Art to Raise Awareness of Recycling, Waste Reduction

MONTRÉAL, PQ – January 16, 2006

Tetra Pak Canada today launched the First Annual “Get Your Creative Juices Going” National Classroom Art Challenge.
Said Tetra Pak president Evelyn Watson, “We initiated this program for students across Canada to conceive innovative and creative classroom art projects using a minimum of 500 empty Tetra Pak cartons and other recyclable materials. An educational curriculum was developed specifically for the challenge and focuses on the subject of waste management and recycling.”

The Art Challenge begins today and runs through April 15/06. Winners will be announced May 10/06.

“We are committed to environmental responsibility and the goal of this program is twofold: to challenge students’ creativity and to raise awareness of environmental issues in waste reduction and diversion,” added Ms Watson. “Using art and creativity as a tool, we hope to educate Canada’s youth on the importance of preserving the environment”.

A distinguished Judging Committee from the arts community will select winning submissions from five regions across the country.
The Committee includes:
• Lance Carlson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alberta College of Art and Design
• Dr Janos Fedak, Head, Department of Fine Arts, University of Prince Edward Island
• Kenneth Lum, Professor, Fine Arts Department, University of British Columbia
• Frederic Metz, Director, Graphic Design Program, University of Québec
• Lenore Richards, Dean, Faculty of Design, Ontario College of Art and Design

Criteria for judging submissions are based on creativity, ingenuity, teamwork and cooperation and innovative uses of a variety of recyclable materials.
One prize will be awarded in each of the five regions with each prize consisting of four computers, books, and software with a retail value of $12,000. Each of the winning classes in the five regions will receive a prize for each student in that class consisting of backpacks, software and cordless phone valued at $180 per prize.

The program is open to all schools in Canada. Schools and classes can enter as often as they like. For further details, or to enter the challenge, visit www.tetrapakcreativechallenge.com.

ABOUT TETRA PAK
Tetra Pak is a leading producer of processing and packaging systems for liquid foods. With 85 employees, Tetra Pak Canada is based in Richmond Hill, Ontario with a satellite office in Montréal, PQ. Tetra Pak Canada is part of the Tetra Pak Group which has approximately 21,000 employees working in 58 markets worldwide. In the past year, Tetra Pak sold 120 billion packages, transporting over 60 billion litres of liquid food to consumers.

WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION - RHODA EISENSTADT

COMMUNICATION SUCCESS
SPECIAL ISSUE 2005

How does a teaching career morph into managing partner of one of Canada’s largest independently owned public relations consulting firms? For Rhoda Eisenstadt of The Communications Group, Inc. (TCG), the metamorphosis began when she was on maternity leave with her first child. “My husband, David, had started a communications firm and someone was needed to do research for the company’s consultants. I stepped in, learned a lot about the business and stayed.”

Rhoda’s experience as a teacher proved invaluable in her transition to public relations. “I have keen organization skills, know how to multi-task and think creatively. In communications, as in teaching, we reach out to people to get points across.”

Toronto-based TCG serves Canadian and multi-national clients from numerous business sectors through its relationship with PR firms around the world. Rhoda focuses primarily on real estate. “We work with developers/builders, their advertising agencies, and marketing and sales people to create PR strategies that support marketing objectives.”

This involves project and corporate positioning. “We help clients sell out their communities as quickly as possible. Our job starts before a community is opened, to well after owners move in. We handle publicity, events, newsletter creation, registrant/purchaser letters, homeowner manuals, how-to-guides for buying a home – all non-advertising communications.”

To heighten public awareness of the corporate entity, Rhoda says, “We work with clients on branding initiatives that clearly communicate their competitive advantage. This might involve presenting them as industry experts through speaking opportunities and bylined columns (TCG writers ghostwrite speeches and articles), or setting up company-wide affinity programs that encourage repeat business. Media training is another service we provide to help clients communicate effectively. We also generate public awareness about corporate citizenship through publicity and sponsorship programs.”

Rhoda says the past year has been particularly exciting. “There are close to 300 high-rise projects on the go in Toronto, so competition is fierce. We are fortunate to work with the best low-rise and high-rise developers and builders in the GTA, who recognize they must position themselves in a distinctive way.”

TCG prides itself on non-conventional approaches. “For the recent opening of 100 Yorkville, we hired paparazzi and people to escort VIPs along a red carpet to attract attention. Prior to the opening of London on the Esplanade, we held a pub night for people who live and work in the area to heighten awareness and help build the prospective purchaser list.”

The Communications Group, Inc., 65 Overlea Blvd., Fourth Floor, Toronto, ON M4H 1P1, Tel: (416) 696-9900, Fax: (416) 696-9897.
At prestigious Kilgour Estate, TCG arranged for a glasswork exhibit fro, the Sandra Ainsley Gallery. “This event helped create excitement about the project’s second phase and attracted patrons of the arts.” Another attention-getting strategy involved a beach volleyball tournament with Canadian-ranked players at Waterview to showcase the condominium’s recreational lifestyle.

An example of TCG’s “guerrilla-type” tactics involves dressing young people in T-shirts emblazoned with a project’s logo and sending them out in a cool convertible through Toronto’s club area and financial district. “They talk to people who fit the hip, first-time purchaser profile and hand out promotional CDs.”

Rhoda is quick to point out that TCG’s success is the result of teamwork. “We’re like-minded individuals who think and work outside the box. We do what needs to be done to best serve our clients’ objectives.”

POTENTIAL BUYERS HIT THE RED CARPET

RARITAN enhances performance of its award-winning dominion series to simplify remote server management

CTV Covers Ritz Carlton Hotel and Condo Residences News Conference in Toronto

TORONTO – September 26, 2005

(Please wait for a few minutes for loading the complete clips)

TORONTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND TORONTO FILM STUDIOS SIGN LEASE FOR $100 MILLION FILM PRODUCTION FACILITY

While under development, FILMPORT will create 2,000 person-years of employment in the construction, manufacturing and service sectors. When completed, the complex is expected to annually induce direct and indirect economic impacts of over $600 million in Ontario, and support up to 2,000 person-years of employment. The studio complex will also generate $4.3 million of additional property taxes for the city.

This initial phase will comprise 232,500 sq. ft. of production facilities including six state-of-the-art sound stages totalling 123,000 sq. ft. and over 100,000 sq. ft. of production offices and support facilities.

Phase 1 also includes the ‘mega-stage’ that will be North America’s largest, purpose-built sound stage. At 45,000 sq. ft., this state-of-the-art stage will have 65 ft. of clear height and a floor space 180 ft. wide by 250 ft. long (over an acre in area) – entirely without columns. It will be large enough to house a full-sized replica of the Parthenon.

“This stage will attract blockbuster feature films costing $100 million or more, like X-Men 2 and 3 and Superman 3. With its distinctive, vaulting roofline, it will be a signature landmark in the Port Lands. FILMPORT will instantly gain worldwide recognition that will make Toronto competitive with the biggest film centres anywhere,” Ferguson added.

TFS is striving to have construction completed next winter. Thereafter, the complex will expand to 550,000 sq. ft. of production space including more than a dozen sound stages. Development outside the studio gates, will include up to one million sq. ft. of offices, restaurants, conference facilities and possibly a hotel, as well as additional industrial and commercial space for related industries. The combined development cost of the studio complex and surrounding commercial space is $275 million.

Financing is being put in place now that a lease agreement is signed. Toronto Film Studios’ parent company, The Rose Corporation, and its equity partners will provide $25 million in equity. HSBC Bank Canada (Canada’s largest international bank) has offered construction financing. Permanent financing is being arranged by The Rose Corporation.
Toronto Film Studios Inc. is already Canada's largest film studio operator, currently managing 360,000 sq. ft. of facilities in the Port Lands area. TFS has hosted many of the city’s largest film productions including David Cronenberg’s A History of Violence and Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man.

The Rose Corporation is a privately-held, Toronto-based merchant bank with a 25 year record of success. It takes pride in providing debt and equity financing for imaginative projects like FILMPORT.

TEDCO is designated as the city-wide redevelopment arm for Toronto. It is an Ontario business corporation with the City of Toronto as its sole shareholder. It was incorporated in 1986 to pursue industrial development and to attract and retain jobs in the city. It is a self-financing, arms-length corporation supported by an 11 person board of directors appointed by City Council.

TEDCO owns over 450 acres (162 hectares) of land in the Port Lands and elsewhere in the city and leases properties to approximately 70 businesses.

PAISLEY-MANOR INSURANCE BROKERS celebrates its 50th anniversary!

TORONTO, ON – September 8, 2005

Paisley-Manor Insurance Brokers, Inc. (PMI), is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.
Based in Toronto, PMI offers a range of services including business (property/building), institutional, personal, home and auto insurance, life and group benefits programs, hard-to-place risks, specialized lines and fleets.

CEO Ira Kuchinsky said, “Our success as one of Canada's fastest growing, independently-owned insurance brokerages comes from a half-century of accumulated knowledge designing and developing comprehensive insurance programs and services for entrepreneurial businesses.”
Founded by Irving Allan Paisley in 1955 from a shared office in North York, Ontario, the company has grown to an international service provider employing over 50 people.

PMI’s principals are involved in the daily management of all insurance affairs, and are supported by a staff of insurance professionals with a wide range of insurance industry experience.

President Michael Paisley said, “We expect to continue doing what has made us successful and look forward to the next 50 years of serving our growing clientele.”

PMI has a Realty Insurance Exposures division, to work with the ownership, construction and development segments of that industry. The company also has national and international expertise and cross-border facilities to service private and public sector clients.

McAFEE releases Internet security suite 2006 for consumers

HERE’S THE BEEF:
NEW YORK FRIES LAUNCHES SOUTH ST. BURGER Co. IN TORONTO

PIZZA NOVA’S ‘kids pizza making workshop’, free at the EX!

CANADA HAS A NEW CHIP ON THE BLOCK!

Jay Gould, Owner and President NEW YORK FRIES, Toronto, Canada

THE RITZ-CARLTON, TORONTO WILL BE A NEW 53-STOREY LANDMARK ON DOWNTOWN SKYLINE WITH 135 LUXURY RESIDENCES $300 Million Project Will Generate Jobs

TORONTO – April 12, 2005

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, MD. and Graywood Developments Ltd. of Toronto today announced they will build a 53-storey luxury hotel and condominium residence in downtown Toronto. The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto will be a $300 million development located on the south side of Wellington Street, between Simcoe and John Streets.
The 700,000 sq. ft. facility features a five-star hotel with 267 rooms and 135 condominium residences in a stately, elegant point tower destined to become a city landmark.

“This is the first Ritz-Carlton combined hotel and condominium residence in Canada and will be the only Toronto hotel to offer The Ritz-Carlton level of luxury and service,” said Michael Beckley, vice-president of development for Marriott International Inc., the parent company of The Ritz-Carlton.
The project will generate approximately 1,500 construction jobs and more than 500 permanent, full-time jobs. Zoning for the development is in place. Construction is scheduled to start in 2006 and be completed in 2009. A presentation centre for the condominium residences will open this September.
Toronto Mayor David Miller said, “The arrival of Toronto’s first five-star hotel is another sign of our city’s renaissance. Not only will this hotel create hundreds of jobs, it will also help attract visitors from around the world to Toronto.”

“There is simply no building of this caliber in the city. The building will change the face of Toronto by its internationally inspired design,” said Garnet Watchorn, President of Graywood Developments Ltd.

The project’s architecture is a collaboration between New York-based, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF) Associates Architects and Planners and Toronto-based, Page + Steele Architects and Planners. The building’s interior spaces will be designed by HBA/Hirsch Bedner Associates Design Consultants’ Atlanta office and Babey Moulton Jue and Booth of San Francisco.

Combining classic and contemporary architectural elements throughout, the building has three main components. The tower will rise out of a five-level podium. Storeys six to 20 will contain luxuriously appointed rooms and facilities for hotel guests. Condominium residences will be located on storeys 22 to 52, with a private lobby and amenity centre for residents on the 21st and 22nd storeys.
At storey 26, the tower’s south wall begins to slope outward, forming an arresting architectural feature designed to visually compliment the sweeping curves of Roy Thomson Hall across the street.

The five-storey podium at the tower’s base features a largely glass exterior designed to create a sense of interaction between the street and the lobby. The podium will also hold two large ballrooms, fine-dining restaurants, conference and meeting facilities to attract high-end conference and meeting business. The grand ballroom will host leading social events and functions.
In addition, the top level of the podium will house a world class 23,000 sq. ft. spa, which will be Toronto’s largest and most luxurious.
Most condominium residences will be one, two and three bedroom suites ranging from 2,000 to over 3,000 sq. ft. There are also a few smaller one bedroom pied-a-terres in the 1,300 to 1,700 sq. ft. range.

Suites will be priced from the $700,000s to over $8 million, the exception being the top penthouse. Located on the 52nd floor, it will be a palatial 10,920 sq. ft., for approximately $11 million.

“The opportunity for condominium owners to live above and share facilities and services with a five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel is unprecedented in Toronto,” said Pat Baker, CEO, Baker Real Estate Corp.

The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto and The Residences at The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto marks another step in the ongoing evolution of The Ritz-Carlton brand. Since 200l, The Ritz-Carlton has successfully opened 23 hotel and resort properties. The expansion program is part of the Company’s philosophy of gradually evolving to accommodate the changing needs of a clientele seeking more contemporary design standards and a less formal, more relaxed atmosphere of elegance.
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. of Chevy Chase, Md., (USA) currently operates 58 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. It is the only service company to have twice earned the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service. For more information, call toll free, 1-800-241-3333, contact a travel professional, or consult the web site at www.ritzcarlton.com.

Graywood Developments Ltd. was recently selected by the Royal Ontario Museum for the planned redevelopment of the McLaughlin Planetarium site. Graywood has completed major residential, commercial, office and hotel projects in both Canada and the United States. In the Greater Toronto Area, the Company’s condominium developments include Number One York Quay, Landmark of Thornhill and 370 King West.

SMART CAR.... SMART PLACE TO LIVE TORONTO - February 7, 2005 Personal Trainer Debra Basch rolls a Mercedes Smart Car through the doorway of Plazacorp's Wellington On The Park sales office. Visitors to the site at 15 Stafford St. in the trendy King West neighborhood, can complete a ballot for Plazacorp's "Move Smart" sweepstakes, for a chance to to win the car.

NIAGARA REGION NATIVE/RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE WINE MANAGER NAMED BEST ONTARIO SOMMELIER  

TORONTO – November 18, 2004

An experienced, seven-year Ruth’s Chris Steak House sommelier and Niagara Region native, April Kilpatrick, has won the Best Ontario Sommelier award from the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers (CAPS).

A certified member of the International Sommelier Guild, April Kilpatrick joined Ruth’s Chris -Toronto in 1998 as sommelier/wine manager. In addition to being awarded this prestigious title, she will have the opportunity to compete with other professional sommeliers in the International Competition in 2005.

Competitors included over 50 certified Ontario Sommeliers and members of the Toronto CAPS Chapter. This organization is a chapter of the Paris-based Association de la Sommellerie Internationale (ASI), and is devoted to developing the sommelier profession in Ontario.
To determine Final Competition qualifiers, semi-finals were held in August. Competing Sommeliers were evaluated based on their performance on a written questionnaire; the blind tasting of two wines for sight, smell, taste, aftertaste, grape varietal, vintage, area of provenance plus a food and wine pairing. Four candidates with the highest score were selected to compete as finalists for the Best Ontario Sommelier Competition.
Five judges decided on the winner after the four sommeliers faced a demanding series of tests including a formal wine and food pairing presentation and a service sequence. They were also judged on their ability to blind test five premiere wines.

The Best Ontario Sommelier Competition is open to all CAPS active in good standing. Entrants had to currently work in a restaurant where they earned at least 50 per cent of their revenue. Members also had to have a minimum two to three years experience working as a sommelier or graduate certified sommelier.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House is the only restaurant in the Greater Toronto Area to employ two certified female sommeliers - April Kilpatrick and Jennifer Huether. In Canada, Ruth’s Chris Steak House lists approximately 250 wines. The Toronto restaurant received the 2004 DiRoNA Award of Excellence from Distinguished Restaurants of North America and has received The Wine Spectator Award of Excellence each year since 1997.

ABOUT RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE
Headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Ruth’s Chris Steak House was founded by Ruth Fertel in 1965. The largest upscale steak house in the world, Ruth’s Chris specialises in aged, corn-fed USDA Prime beef, broiled at high temperatures to sear in the natural juices, and served sizzling on a heated plate to keep each steak hot and juicy to the last bite. Ruth’s Chris Steak House can be found throughout North America, the Caribbean and the Far East. Visit www.ruthschris.ca.

As part of their mission to make music and related information accessible 24/7, the CMC’s website www.musiccentre.ca features a searchable database of the library and allows scores, parts and audio files to be transmitted electronically.New Music in New Places is supported by The SOCAN Foundation and the Government of Canada through the Canada Music Fund. All events are sponsored by Canada NewsWire Ltd., Bowdens Media Monitoring Limited and The Communications Group Inc.

CANADIAN MUSIC CENTRE LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE “NEW MUSIC IN NEW PLACES” CONCERT FESTIVAL TORONTO, September 14, 2004 The Canadian Music Centre (CMC) today announced a series of national performance events, called New Music in New Places, designed to bring Canadian contemporary music out of the concert halls and into the lives of Canadians. Beginning September 24 until March 2005, Canadians can experience 35 or more concert performances throughout Canada. Local composers and musicians will perform music amidst the community, wherever this may be, including locations in a New Brunswick Penitentiary, a northern Ontario mining town, in an office tower in downtown Montreal and in a hot air balloon over Winnipeg. “Most Canadians don’t realize that there are more than 600 professional Canadian composers creating original music that is performed and recorded worldwide,” said Elisabeth Bihl, the Centre’s Executive Director. “With five Music Centres across Canada, we house the country’s largest collection of Canadian contemporary music works, with over 16,000 original Canadian scores.” Long a unique resource for conductors, choreographers, performers, broadcasters and students, the CMC’s mission is to promote the music of its associate composers. But contemporary music has traditionally been the domain of a relatively select audience, and the CMC’s New Music in New Places festival aims to change that. Performances highlight contemporary composers from regions across the country bringing to beaches, malls, brewpubs, wineries, museums and airports, the sounds and music that are an integral part of the Canadian character. Ms. Bihl described this national initiative from the CMC’s headquarters in the historic Chalmers House, a Toronto heritage building that warehouses CD’s, prints, binds and digitizes original scores, and maintains a library with an extensive collection of published and unpublished scores and archival and commercial recordings.

DAVID EISENSTADT APPOINTED CANADIAN COMMUNICATIONS COUNSEL, TO FRIENDS OFSIMON WIESENTHAL CENTER  

TORONTO – July 8, 2004

The Board of Directors of Canada’s Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center, has announced the appointment of David Eisenstadt as Communications Counsel, effective immediately.
 
A Partner at Toronto-based public relations firm, The Communications Group Inc., Eisenstadt will work with Friends' Canadian Director, Avi Benlolo and Director of National Affairs, Leo Adler. His firm, now in its 31st year, continues to provide pro bono service to the organization. 
 
Eisenstadt is a graduate of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and the University of Alberta at Calgary.
 
Commenting on the appointment, Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles said, “In nearly 30 years of activism, I have never met a public relations professional who so wonderfully combines brilliance, unstinting personal integrity and powerful results. Canadian Friends, the Wiesenthal Center and the Jewish community are lucky to have David on our side.”
 
Added Avi Benlolo, “David Eisenstadt has a wealth of communications experience, and is pivotal in disseminating and informing the media about issues of concern to the Center and the public.” 
 
"David Eisenstadt’s contribution to Friends, over the last few years, has been stellar. His dedication and devotion to the community, his award-winning recognition by his peers and his unerring advice has made his appointment a 'natural'.  We look forward to a long and beneficial association," said Leo Adler.
 
Eisenstadt is a Fellow of the Public Relations Society of America and the Canadian Public Relations Society. He is the 2004 recipient of the CPRS Philip A. Novikoff Memorial Award for “furthering the standing of the PR profession in Canada over time, through professional and public relations practice, service to CPRS and the community at large." 
 
ABOUT THE SIMON WIESENTHAL CENTERFOR HOLOCAUST STUDIES
Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies is a Canadian human rights organization dedicated to fostering tolerance and understanding through community involvement, educational outreach and social action. With over 40,000 members of all faiths, it confronts important contemporary issues including racism, antisemitism, terrorism and genocide. Friends is affiliated with the world-wide, Los Angeles-based Simon Wiesenthal Center, an accredited Non-Government Organization with status at international agencies, including the United Nations, UNESCO, OSCE and the Council of Europe, with offices in New York, Miami, Paris, Jerusalem, Buenos Aries and Toronto. Simon Wiesenthal himself still works out of his Vienna office.                               

LEWIS PR’S FIRST GATEWAY ALLIANCE ESTABLISHED WITH CANADA’S THE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP INC.
Results-Driven Agencies Provide Seamless Service Model For North American Clients

Boston and Toronto – June 16, 2004

Global public relations agency, LEWIS, and leading Canadian IT PR agency, The Communications Group Inc. (TCG), have formed a reciprocal client servicing pact covering the North American market. Termed the Gateway Alliance, the two high-tech public relations firms have created a seamless service standard for clients. The main goal of the Gateway Alliance is to provide rapid and assured PR access into Canada for LEWIS clients and into the US for clients of The Communications Group. The agreement outlines expected service standards for mutual clients, transparent billing and eliminates the competitive elements common in internationally coordinated PR campaigns.

“The Gateway Alliance agrees to manage each other’s clients with PR needs in each respective market with the same professional manner they have come to expect from LEWIS offices in other parts of the world, or from TCG,” said David Eisenstadt, Founding Partner of The Communications Group.

“LEWIS already has an extensive reach across the US, Europe and Asia, but wanted to take its servicing to the next level in Canada,” said Steve Capoccia, general manager and head of East Coast operations for LEWIS in Boston.

“The Communications Group provides in-depth Canadian market knowledge and has an excellent reputation with the news media – which was key to our selecting them as a partner,” said Capoccia.

About LEWIS
LEWIS is the fastest growing agency in the US. It has wholly-owned offices in Boston, Eindhoven, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, Singapore, Stockholm, and Sydney offering local market knowledge and contacts for clients across the United States, Europe and AsiaPac. The agency is independently owned by the executive management team round the world and employs 130 staff. For further information visit www.lewispr.com

About THE COMMUNICATIONS GROUP INC.
The Communications Group Inc. (TCG) is a Toronto-based, independentlyowned public relations consulting firm successfully serving multi-national
and Canadian clients across Canada since 1973. Visit www.tcgpr.com

DAVID EISENSTADT NAMED CPRS NOVIKOFF AWARD RECIPIENT FOR 2004
QUEBEC CITY, PQ, June 15, 2004

At the recent Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Annual Conference here, David Eisenstadt, APR, Fellow PRSA, CPRS of The Communications Group Inc. (TCG) received this year’s Philip A. Novikoff Memorial Award.

“The Novikoff Award is presented to an accredited member of the Society who has furthered the standing of the public relations profession in Canada over time, through professional and public relations practice, service to CPRS and the community at large,” said Karen Dalton, APR, Executive Director, CPRS.

Eisenstadt founded The Communications Group Inc. in 1973, with corporate communications experience from IBM Canada Ltd. and public relations consulting management responsibilities with Goodis, Goldberg & Soren Advertising.

Based in Toronto, TCG continues to be one of Canada's leading independently-owned public relations consulting firms serving Canadian and multinational clients.

Established in 1989 in memory of public relations professional Philip A. Novikoff, the Award has been given to 10 recipients to date. Other recipients include Louis J. Cahill, APR, Fellow CPRS (Toronto); Dean Miller, APR (Vancouver); David W. Annesley, APR (Calgary); Steven Parker, APR, Fellow CPRS (Halifax); Ruth F. Hammond, APR, Fellow CPRS (Toronto); Luc Beauregard, APR, Fellow CPRS (Montréal); Jim Osborne, APR (Calgary); Jean Freeman, APR, Honourary Fellow CPRS (Regina); Barbara Sheffield, APR, Fellow CPRS (Toronto).

YAK COMMUNCATIONS ROLLS THROUGH ATLANTIC CANADA
 
As public relations counsel to YAK Communications, Inc., of Toronto, Canada, a decision was made to launch its long distance dial-around phone service in Atlantic Canada during Q4, 2003.  Because the service launch was real news, positioning the announcement before any paid advertising was an absolutely essential tactic.
 
The offering for consumers and  business (land line) phone users in each of the four Atlantic provinces was that they'd be able to make long distance calls anywhere in North America, 7-24, for only five cents a minute, with no strings attached and  without signing contracts, switching their phone carrier, paying a surcharge, etc.  The charge per call would appear on their local carrier's bill on an itemized basis under the heading "Other Carriers". 
 
This service was available in all other Canadian provinces prior to this launch.
 
As a Toronto-based company,  it  was important to position the launch very carefully, since YAK views itself as a"friendly competitor" to the Telco companies with which it partners to provide this service  In this case, YAK's new offering would be provided to customers of Aliant Telecom in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.  At the same time, we were mindful that there is sometimes resentment of anything imposed on these provinces which comes from Toronto, acknowledged as the business capital of the country (and in fact, other parts of Canada as well), particularly when the Company was not opening an office or hiring anyone locally.
 
The reality was that when the PR campaign was launched, YAK beat (and still beats) any competitor on price;  still, the issue was to get  local elephone company users to consider switching to YAK by using an easy-to-remember phone prefix code....10-10-YAK (925) followed by 1, then the area code and number.
 
The YAK PR initiative happened  over the course of one week; October 27 (Halifax, NS); 28 (Saint John, NB); 29 (Charlottetown, PEI); 30 (St. John's Nf), 2003. 
 
We prepared "locally targetted " Media Kits and releases; identified specific print and broadcast journalists for YAK President/ & CEO Charles Zwebner. to meet.  We managed a "local" whirlwind tour with Mr. Zwebner as spokesperson in each of the four cities  and as a result, "next day"  major front page Business Section coverage appeared in each of the Halifax Chronicle-Herald and Halifax Mail-Star; Halifax Daily News; Saint John Telegraph -Journal and New Brunswick Telegraph -Journal; Charlottetown Guardian and St. John's Telegram, plus extensive cross-province radio and TV coverage followed.
 
Over the next two weeks, a direct mail flyer was produced with the 10-10-YAK(925) number attached as a"sticky" pull-away reminder for consumers to affix to their phones.
 
Business escalated from a standing start.
 
This publicly traded Canadian company (Nasdaq:  YAKC)  recently announced its Second Quarter results as of  December 31, 2003 with sales of $20,240,000, an increase of 118 per cent over sales of $9,297,00 for the comparable period ending December 31, 2002.  Earnings per diluted share were $.12 (post 2:1 stock split effect 01/29/04) representing an increase of 100 per cent over the comparable 12 month period ending December 31, 2002.  For the quarter ending December 31, 2003, YAK processed on its own network 235 million minutes of traffic with 20 million calls serving over 800,00 monthly customers.

TCG Helps The Daniels Corporation Light-Up The Night Sky

Working with The Daniels Corporation, one of Canada’s most prominent residential builders/developers, The Communications Group Inc. planned a spectacular Lighting Ceremony, New York-style Reception and Media Relations Program to officially open NY Towers, Toronto’s luxury condominium community at Bayview Avenue and Highway 401.

The four condo towers are the first stage of a planned community that will grow across 10 acres, ultimately creating a neighbourhood for over 4,000 people.

TCG managed all aspects of the Pre-Launch and Launch Event activities on November 25/02, including theme creation and menu selection, speech writing, preparation of the Media Kit contents and extensive journalist outreach.

Street vendors offering pretzels, hot dogs, warm chestnuts and a jazz combo were some of the highlights of this Gotham City-inspired, early evening bash, which included the choreographed illumination of the condo Towers’ art-deco rooflines and a spectacular fireworks extravaganza triggered by Mayor Mel Lastman and other dignitaries.

The Opening of NY Towers was covered by a compliment of broadcast and print News Media......Global Television, CITY TV and CFTO TV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Toronto Star and Toronto Sun and various real estate trades, including Condo Guide and Condo Life magazines.

CREWS Uses TCG To Help Solve Construction Employment Crisis

The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has enjoyed record levels of construction-industry growth, yet the industry faces a critical shortage of construction workers.

Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC), Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association (GTHBA) in 2001 agreed to address worker shortages in the Ontario construction industry. As a result, a pilot project called CREWS was established to facilitate the entry of up to 500 temporary construction workers over two years.

Recognizing that domestic recruitment efforts failed to meet industry needs, the CREWS Project allowed temporary entry of qualified foreign construction workers (who met trade experience requirements) for two years to address the shortage of bricklayers, framers, form workers, cement finishers and labourers.

CREWS management understood that the key to the program’s success was to generate awareness and understanding with its target audiences and turned to The Communications Group Inc. (TCG) for help during 2002.

TCG developed an aggressive News Media Relations program, supported by a Stakeholder Awareness campaign. TCG worked with CREWS executives to prepare supporting materials and create newsworthy messaging.

Relevant broadcast and print reporters were contacted and extensive coverage was garnered in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, and building and developer trades among others. TCG also engaged various editors and journalists at Ontario’s ethnic publications and managed a number of interviews for CREWS executives.

Awareness among key influencers- construction industry managers, builders, government and Ontario’s ethnic communities- grew considerably during TCG’s engagement, which helped CREWS reach its key benchmarks well ahead of schedule.

TCG Publicizes A Greenwin Community’s Revitalization

Once dubbed “Canada’s worst community” by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, the San Romanoway community at Toronto’s Jane/Finch intersection has a history of high youth unemployment and youth-related crime; until the buildings’ ownership and management committed to serious community renewal.

Led by Greenwin Property Management, ResREIT and the Glen Corporation together with various corporate entities including Home Depot and all levels of government, the San Romanoway Revitalization Association formed to provide social and cultural enrichment programs and site improvements for the community’s 4,400 residents.

As a model of community support and corporate involvement, Greenwin's PR Consultants, The Communications Group Inc. (TCG) promoted the Association throughout 2002. An ongoing program aimed at GTA journalists plus community and ethnic media was managed and executed by TCG during the first half of 2003.

The Communications Group secured and audited interviews with key spokespeople on site, wrote pitch materials and submitted by-lined articles to various publications.

After successfully building awareness and understanding of the Association’s mandate, Greenwin assigned TCG to manage Media Relations activities for its Playground Build Day; May 30/03.

At the event, San Romanoway Revitalization Association hosted over 150 residents, corporate volunteers and public officials who gathered to donate their time, resources and materials to cooperatively build a children’s playground, valued at $75,000.

Working with the Playground Build Committee and Greenwin’s Marketing team, TCG prepared a Public Relations Strategy. The Firm helped craft invitations to key public officials, prepared a Media Kit, wrote the project News Release and collateral materials and managed a News Conference attended by the majority of GTA-based print and broadcast reporters.

Condo Brands a Community, with TCG’s Help

During 2002 and in the Spring of 2003, Toronto condominium developers were on a branding mission; each seeking to create brand awareness, brand identity and, most important, brand equity.

While many were striving to mark their buildings, Montréal-based developer Canderel Stoneridge retained The Communications Group Inc. (TCG) to brand a community.

Working with their Marketing team, TCG leveraged Canderel Stoneridge’s two newest developments on King Street West-- the historic Massey Harris Lofts and the very contemporary DNA: Downtown’s Next Address-- to create an image for an entire neighborhood.

With an extensive positioning campaign, TCG helped create ‘King West- cool’. An ongoing program of aggressive outreach targeted at broadcast and print reporters lead to a wealth of coverage. From the real estate pages to design sections; from lifestyle programming to business news, a variety of pitches and creative angles allowed both projects to become a lynchpin for the King West story.

The TCG-managed campaign educated influential journalists about the resurgence of the King West area, its demographics, attributes and style. TCG then married those attributes to the area’s newest, high-profile condo development.

Real Estate Television on CFTO, Global TV and CITY’s Hot Properties were among the broadcasters telling and re-telling the King West story. Articles in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, National Post, Town Crier Newspapers and various real estate trades featured DNA and the Massey Harris Lofts in the King West Village context. Typical headlines......“King West is the hottest urban location in the city” and “Downtown’s hip new address”.

These PR efforts helped Canderel Stoneridge reach record sales levels and position the Company to launch Phase II of DNA, one full year ahead of schedule.