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We had a blast at the 2024 Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators conference in Banff. The theme was “Embracing Change Together,” and it was a chance to network, share ideas, and hear about the challenges and changes facing Canadian municipal administrative professionals today.
We are thrilled to reveal the winners of our city caption contest! For those who missed it—we asked folks to come up with a name and motto for our fantastical Canadian dream city. Then, we picked two winners, three runner-ups, and eight honorable mentions. The two winners will be receiving a $50 Gift Card from Amazon. Thank you to everyone who participated—we were blown away by the creativity and fun that you brought to this competition!
Here is the mythical, magical logo that provided the inspiration:
(Think you can do better than our winners below? Tell us your ideas in the comments! ↓)
The Winners: “Verdetonia” and “City of Loca”
WINNER 1: Verdetonia – From John Enns-Wind, Chief Administrative Officer at Town of Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick.
City Name: “Verdetonia”
Caption: Verdetonia is a whimsical concoction that merges the French word “verte” (green) and the English suffix “tonia” (town). The result is a delightful nod to Canadian multiculturalism and linguistic flair, a name that says, “Come for the foliage, stay for the poutine!” Verdetonia promises a city experience where the greenery is lush, the air is crisp, and the local squirrels are suspiciously friendly. It evokes a city that waves its leafy arms and declares, “Here I am, verdant and vibrant, ready to host a community full of life and laughter and slagging the Florida Panthers!”
City Motto: “Strength in Unity, Harmony with Nature”
Our motto says, “Hey, we’re all in this together, so let’s be nice to each other and the planet, okay? Except when we are on the ice or pitch!” This embodies the quintessential Canadian spirit of strength, unity, and natural harmony (with a touch of competitiveness).
WINNER 2: Chace Fowlie, Program Director, Benefit Services, Business Development, Alberta Municipalities
City Name: City of Loca
Caption: “You Would Be Crazy Not To Live Here!”
No further explanation needed, honestly!
Three Runner-Ups
We wanted to shout out these three as excellent runner-ups (in no particular order):
- City of Progress: “Always Forward!” From Bill Given, Municipality of Jasper
- City of Moose-ropolitan (Technically no caption, but come on… what a fun name!) From Laurie Spence Bannerman, Municipality of Bluewater
- City of Kent: “Never Say You KENT!” From Wallace Mah, District of Kent
Honorable Mentions
These are eight submissions that made us laugh, smile, and/or think, “Yeah, I think I would like to live there.” From cities of gravy to utopian paradises, these were the ones that received an honorable mention.
- City of Pride Paradise: “Where Rainbows And Love Begin.” From Kim Ramsay, Municipality of East Hants
- City of Rushville: “Long Live Rock & Roll!” From David Smith, Town of Orangeville
- Antler Falls: “An Aggressively Good Place To Live!” From Erin Sweet, Butternut Valley
- Moose-Eagle-Water Cove: “We Make Good Gravy.” From Kerry Murray, Town of Torbay
- City of Oceanside: “City Of The Never-ending Sunset.” From Rosa Miller, City of Prince Rupert
- City of Blue Waterfalls: “Naturally Brilliant.” From Victoria Brooks, Municipality of the District of Yarmouth
- City of Utopia: “It’s Perfect Here!” From Robert Buchan, City of Prince Rupert
- City of Envirainbow: “Colorful World, Colorful Life.” From Trina Innes, Alberta Municipalities
Thank you, Canadian Municipal Administrators!
Congratulations to all the winners and honorable mentions! Your creativity and humor have brought our city to life. We hope to catch you again next year at CAMA!
Haena Cho
Haena is a marketing professional with diversified project management and event management experience. Haena is passionate about collaboration, designing campaigns to maximize impact, community outreach, and fostering positive relationships to establish and support long-standing partnerships.
Outside of work, she can be spotted in line at one of Vancouver’s many ice cream shops or playing beach volleyball. She is proud to be part of Envisio—a mission-driven company that is building transparency and trust for communities.
