E C

I The Winners of The 2008 ’s Child Magazine’s Parents’ Choice Awards O

H Who has the best ice cream? Which theatre company is the most fun? Where can you find the best kids' clothes? Calgary's Child Magazine asked... and you answered... these C

’ and more than 50 other family-friendly questions. Developed to recognize quality family retailers and service providers in our community, this year's Parents’ Choice Awards is S

T our 12th annual. Ballots were distributed in the November/December-2007 issue of Calgary's Child Magazine and more than 150,000 readers were invited to vote for their family

N favorites in over 50 categories. The response was phenomenal. Congratulations to the Lindberg family, our winners of the fabulous night at the Sheraton Suites Eau Claire. E

R Thank you to everyone who voted and sent us such wonderful feedback. A P Congratulations to all the winners! Best Entertainment for a Children’s Party Best Child Care Facility 1st...... Annabell’s Attic 1st ...... YMCA Calgary ACTIVITIES Honourable Mention ...... Enchanted Events Honourable Mention . . . . . Panda Child Development Centres Best Tourist/Family Attraction Honourable Mention ...... Dream a Theme Party Honourable Mention ...... Kids & Company 1st ...... & Botanical Gardens Best Birthday Cakes SHOPPING Honourable Mention ...... 1st...... Calgary Co-op Honourable Mention ...... Heritage Park Honourable Mention ...... Cakeworks Best Children’s Clothing Store Honourable Mention ...... Dairy Queen 1st ...... The Children’s Place Best Calgary Sports Team Honourable Mention ...... Old Navy 1st ...... Calgary Flames FOOD & GROCERY Honourable Mention ...... Gymboree Honourable Mention ...... Calgary Hitmen Honourable Mention ...... Calgary Stampeders Best Grocery Store Best Place for Maternity Wear 1st...... Calgary Co-op 1st ...... Thyme Maternity Best Festival Honourable Mention ...... Real Canadian Superstore Honourable Mention ...... Old Navy 1st...... Calgary International Children’s Festival Honourable Mention ...... Canada Safeway Honourable Mention ...... Motherhood Maternity Honourable Mention ...... Calgary Exhibition & Stampede Honourable Mention ...... 4th Street Lilac Festival Best Ice Cream Store Best Place for Baby Supplies 1st ...... Marble Slab Creamery 1st ...... Wal-Mart Best Halloween Event Honourable Mention ...... Dairy Queen Honourable Mention ...... Real Canadian Superstore 1st...... Calgary Zoo – Boo at the Zoo Honourable Mention ...... My Favourite Ice Cream Shoppe Honourable Mention ...... Toys R Us Honourable Mention ...... Heritage Park – After Dark Honourable Mention. . . . . Butterfield Acres Children’s Farm – Best Natural Foods Store Best Second Hand Clothing Store Pumpkin Hunts 1st ...... Community Natural Foods 1st ...... Once Upon a Child Honourable Mention ...... Planet Organic Honourable Mention ...... Cater Tot Consignment Best Christmas Event Honourable Mention ...... Amaranth Whole Foods Honourable Mention ...... HuckleBerry Kids 1st ...... Calgary Zoo – Zoolights Honourable Mention . . Heritage Park – 12 Days of Christmas Best Fast Food Best Children’s Furniture Store Honourable Mention ...... Airdrie Festival of Lights 1st...... McDonald’s 1st ...... IKEA Honourable Mention ...... Wendy’s Honourable Mention ...... e-children Best Preschooler Programs Honourable Mention ...... Subway Honourable Mention ...... Kacz’ Kids 1st ...... The City of Calgary Recreation Honourable Mention ...... Gymboree Play & Music Best Drive-Thru Best Children’s Bookstore Honourable Mention ...... YMCA Calgary 1st ...... Peters’ Drive-In 1st ...... Chapters/Indigo/Coles Honourable Mention ...... McDonald’s Honourable Mention ...... Monkeyshines Children’s Books Best Programs for School Age Children Honourable Mention ...... Tim Hortons Honourable Mention ...... McNally Robinson Booksellers 1st ...... The City of Calgary Recreation Honourable Mention ...... YMCA Calgary Best Pizza Best Place for Children’s Haircuts Honourable Mention ...... 1st ...... Panago 1st ...... Beaners Fun Cuts for Kids Honourable Mention ...... Pizza Hut Honourable Mention ...... First Choice Haircutters Best Teen Programs Honourable Mention ...... Boston Pizza Honourable Mention ...... Great Clips for Hair 1st ...... The City of Calgary Recreation Honourable Mention ...... YMCA Calgary Best Children’s Menu Best Shopping Mall for Families Honourable Mention (Tie) Canada Olympic Park /Cardel Place 1st...... Boston Pizza 1st ...... Honourable Mention ...... Montana’s Restaurant Honourable Mention ...... Best Children’s Day Camp Honourable Mention ...... Denny’s Honourable Mention ...... 1st ...... YMCA Calgary Honourable Mention ...... The City of Calgary Recreation Best Restaurant for Parent’s Night Out Best Place to Buy School Supplies Honourable Mention ...... Annabell’s Attic 1st ...... The Keg Steak House & Bar 1st ...... Wal-Mart Honourable Mention . . . . . Joey Tomato’s Mediterranean Grill Honourable Mention ...... Staples Business Depot Best Children’s Residential Camp Honourable Mention ...... Earls Honourable Mention ...... Real Canadian Superstore 1st ...... YMCA – Camp Chief Hector Best Family Photographer Honourable Mention ...... Girl Guides TRAVEL Honourable Mention ...... Tim Hortons Camp 1st ...... Sears Portrait Studio Best Travel Agency Honourable Mention ...... Real Canadian Superstore Best Ski Area in Alberta 1st ...... Alberta Motor Association (AMA) Travel Honourable Mention ...... Kristen Shima Photography 1st ...... Canada Olympic Park Honourable Mention ...... Calgary Co-op Travel Honourable Mention ...... Sunshine Village Honourable Mention ...... Sears Travel Best Pet Shop Honourable Mention...... Lake Louise 1st ...... Petland Best Hotel/Motel Honourable Mention ...... PetSmart Best Swimming Pool 1st ...... Sheraton Suites Eau Claire Honourable Mention ...... Petcetera 1st ...... The City of Calgary Recreation Honourable Mention ...... Delta Hotels Honourable Mention . . The City of Calgary Southland Leisure Honourable Mention ...... Best Western Hotels Best Shoe Store Centre 1st...... Payless ShoeSource Honourable Mention ...... Cardel Place HEALTH SERVICES Honourable Mention ...... The Shoe Company Honourable Mention ...... Brown’s Shoe Shops Best Family Fitness Facility Pharmacy 1st ...... YMCA Calgary 1st...... Shoppers Drug Mart Best Sporting Goods Store Honourable Mention ...... Cardel Place Honourable Mention ...... Calgary Co-op 1st...... SportChek Honourable Mention ...... The City of Calgary Recreation Honourable Mention ...... Canada Safeway Honourable Mention ...... SportMart Honourable Mention ...... Sport Swap Best Live Theatre Company SUPPORT & EDUCATION 1st ...... StoryBook Theatre Best Toy Store Best Preschool 1st...... Toys R Us Honourable Mention ...... Loose Moose Theatre Company 1st ...... Edelweiss Preparatory School Honourable Mention ...... Theatre Calgary Honourable Mention ...... Wal-Mart Honourable Mention ...... Campus Preschool Honourable Mention ...... Gracie & Gruff Best Movie Theatre Honourable Mention ...... Apple Tree Preschool 1st...... Scotiabank Theatre Chinook Best Video Store Best Tutor 1st ...... Blockbuster Honourable Mention ...... Sunridge Spectrum Cinemas 1st ...... Sylvan Learning Centre Honourable Mention ...... Empire Studio 16 (Country Hills) Honourable Mention ...... Rogers Video Honourable Mention ...... Oxford Learning Honourable Mention ...... VHQ Entertainment Best Museum Honourable Mention . . . . Kumon Math and Reading Centres 1st ...... Best Playgroup AND FINALLY… Honourable Mention ...... TELUS World of Science 1st ...... PACT – Parents and Children Together Best Place to Take Your Kids on a Crummy Day Honourable Mention ...... Royal Tyrrell Museum Honourable Mention ...... Gymboree Play & Music 1st ...... TELUS World of Science Honourable Mention ...... Calgarymoms.com Honourable Mention ...... The Urban Treehouse BIRTHDAY PARTIES Honourable Mention ...... Coffee & S’cream h Best Place to Have a Children’s Party Best Parent Support Group 1st ...... Chuck E. Cheese’s 1st ...... PACT – Parents and Children Together Honourable Mention ...... The Urban Treehouse Honourable Mention ...... Gymboree Play & Music Honourable Mention ...... Coffee & S’cream Honourable Mention ...... Calgarymoms.com

1 • Mar-Apr 2008