NEWH Canada names finalists for True North Awards as voting closes tonight

By AI, Created 5:21 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – NEWH Canada has released the finalists for the inaugural True North Awards 2026, with voting open until midnight Friday and winners set for May 28 in Toronto. The program spans 25 categories recognizing hospitality and multifamily design, procurement, projects and industry leaders across Canada.

Why it matters: - The True North Awards put a national spotlight on Canadian hospitality and multifamily design, procurement and innovation. - The awards can help elevate products, firms and people across the industry ahead of the May 28 gala in Toronto. - Voting closes Friday, May 15, at 11:59 PM ET, so industry professionals have a final chance to influence the outcome.

What happened: - NEWH Canada announced the finalists for the inaugural True North Awards 2026. - The awards cover 25 categories across products, vendors, contractors, logistics, sustainability, procurement, ownership, brands, people and projects. - Voting is open at the voting page. - Winners will be revealed at an exclusive gala on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at the Radisson Blu in downtown Toronto.

The details: - Finalists in Best in Canadian Products include soft surface flooring, furniture, lighting, wallcovering, bath and plumbing, art and fabric. - Top Canadian Vendor finalists are Artco International, BermanFalk Hospitality Group, Illumination Lighting, Odyssey Wallcoverings, Renwil Hospitality, Skypad International and Vifloor Canada. - Best Canadian Contractor or Installer finalists are Armourco Solutions, BLT Construction Services, GTX Logistics and Shurway Contracting Ltd. - Best Canadian Freight or Logistics Provider finalists are GTX Logistics and RPM Expedite. - Sustainability Standout finalists are BermanFalk Hospitality Group, Duravit and Tarkett Hospitality. - Best in Canadian Procurement finalists are Sue Dulmage of SDA Procurement in Toronto, Sangjoon Joo of InnVest Hotels, Pam Macdonald of Sunray Group and Wine Mansfield of CPNA Inc. in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec. - Canadian Hospitality Ownership or Management finalists are Accor, Bayview Group, Choice Hotels Canada, Executive Hotels & Resorts, JM Hospitality, Kothari Group, Silver Hotel Group and Sunray Group. - Uniquely Canadian Brand finalists are Fairmont Hotels, Germain Hotels, Northland Properties / Sandman Hotels and Silver Hotel Group. - Brand Steward Award finalists are Doug Amirault of Choice Hotels Canada, Kleda Derovski of IHG, Karyn Faryna of Marriott International, Kirsten Kost of Silver Hotel Group and Stephanie Smith of Accor / Fairmont. - Rep of the Year finalists are Tarah Csaszar of Talimac Design Resources in Toronto, Tammy Diniz of Tarkett Hospitality in Vancouver, Anna Maria Mastrogiacomo of Weston Premium Woods in Toronto, Stefanie Noehammer of Crown Surface Solutions in Toronto and Scott Pope of Vifloor Canada in Toronto. - Guiding Light Mentor Award finalists are Cathy Knott of Kasian Architecture & Interior Design in Toronto, Jennifer Kurtz of KurtzDesign Inc. in Vancouver, Jaymie Mistry of Design Poole Canada in Toronto, Adèle Rankin of Kasian Architecture in Vancouver and Ron Wong of mackaywong in Toronto. - The Solutionist Award finalists are Tarah Csaszar, Jennifer Kurtz, Natasha Popek-Konieczko of Common Good Studio in Toronto, Adèle Rankin, Steve Robinson of Shurway Contracting in Scarborough and Margot Staples of Skypad International in Toronto. - Hospitality Project of the Year finalists are Algonquin Resort, AZUR Legacy Collection Hotel, Canto / Old Mill Toronto, Fairmont Lake Louise Spa, Sofitel Montréal, Tasty’s Indian Bistro, The Brock / Tapestry Collection Niagara Falls and Union Hotel. - Multi-Family Project of the Year finalists are 530 St Clair West, 85 Duke Street and 150 Charlton. - Collaboration of the Year finalists are Frank Architecture + SDA Procurement, mackaywong + Gateway Casino and InnVest Hotels + Arcadis. - Legacy Award finalists are John Aitken, Rebecca Bertrand, Alex Jones, Kirsten Kost, Scott Pope, Mara Ruffolo and Rei Sosroutomo. - Emerging Talent Award finalists are Jasmine Bentivoglio, Justyna Slawinski, Alize Temel and Cassie Van Wiechen. - NEWH said the finalists reflect the best of Canadian hospitality, from game-changing products to transformative hotel projects and emerging talent. - Chris Tucker, CEO of NEWH Inc., said the awards highlight the innovation, craftsmanship and collaboration behind Canada’s hospitality sector.

Between the lines: - The awards appear designed to strengthen industry connections while creating a national benchmark for hospitality and design excellence. - By grouping vendors, owners, contractors, mentors and rising talent in one program, NEWH Canada is broadening the definition of industry leadership beyond finished projects alone. - The mix of local firms and major hospitality brands suggests the awards are meant to bridge regional expertise with national recognition.

What’s next: - Voting remains open until midnight Friday, May 15. - NEWH Canada will name the winners at the True North Awards Gala on May 28 at 6:00 PM in downtown Toronto. - Individual tickets are available for NEWH members and non-members through NEWH Toronto chapter registration. - NEWH, Inc. says the nonprofit will continue its scholarship, education and business networking work across the hospitality industry.