NAGA’s Inaugural Government Relations Campaign Comes to a Successful End
The National Allied Golf Associations’ inaugural government relations campaign came to a close this month with an extraordinary two day event, in Ottawa, promoting the golf industry. Our sport was featured prominently in major stories on the CBC News Network, the Sun Media chain, iPolitics, and a full-page of coverage in Canada’s premier political affairs newspaper, The Hill Times. In addition, golf was featured in a lengthy interview with Jeff Calderwood, NGCOA Canada CEO and NAGA government relations director, on CTV’s Power Play broadcast, the country’s leading political affairs show.
The Ottawa effort capped off a three month push at the provincial and federal level, including six provincial awareness days in Quebec, Prince Edward Island, Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia. The tour was kicked off by Quebec Premier Jean Charest, at an exclusive dinner in Quebec City with provincial delegates, and went on to include the Premiers of Alberta and Prince Edward Island, federal ministers, numerous provincial ministers, leaders of provincial opposition parties, the federal Minister of Sport, federal NDP and Liberal sport critics, and Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty. In total 180 provincial and federal politicians met with golf industry representatives. Media coverage of our golf awareness tour was excellent with numerous television, radio, and print stories promoting our concerns. To view the media coverage across the country, click here to access a PowerPoint presentation.
The focus of all our events was raising the profile of golf as an industry and introducing elected officials to the size and scope of our business, as well as the economic, social, health and environmental benefits of the sport. Politicians of all political leanings were impressed by the campaign and regularly commented that they learned a great deal about the positive benefits that golf has on Canada’s economy and communities.
In the wake of these high-powered events, politicians at all levels are asking to work with NAGA to promote our sport and achieve our key advocacy goals. NAGA is currently working with Impact Public Affairs, one of Canada’s leading public affairs firms, to develop a plan to capture the good will and momentum created through these golf awareness days and ensure that the golf industry has a seat at the decision-making table. In the meantime, please go to www.canadagolfs.ca , which contains summary documents of the events, photos, and media coverage that help tell our story.
About NAGA:
NAGA is a national golf organization comprised of the Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA), Canadian Professional Golfers Association (CPGA), Canadian Society of Club Managers (CSCM), Canadian Professional Golf Tour (CPGT), Golf Canada, and the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada) dedicated to improving all sectors of golf in Canada. Formed in 1999, NAGA’s objective is to work cooperatively together as industry leaders ensuring a strong future for golf in Canada.
Contact:
Jeff Calderwood, CEO, National Golf Course Owners Association Canada and
NAGA Government Relations Director
T: 613-226-3616
jcalderwood@ngcoa.ca