Winners at the 2008 Art of Water awards ceremony.

Photo courtesy Kaleidoscope Photography

With the help of great weather, the elite of Canada's pool and spa industry gathered on February 6 to acknowledge the best in swimming pool design and construction at the 2008 Art of Water Awards. Sponsored by Pools, Spas & Patios magazine, the event, now in its fourth year, welcomed over 150 people including competition judges and invited guests to the Renaissance Toronto Airport Hotel.

The evening started with a cocktail reception, followed by dinner, the presentation of awards and entertainment by comedian James Cunningham, who gave a comedic twist to a variety of topics—from how to properly accept an award to how to build a spectacular pool.

Master of ceremonies for the evening was Richard Hubbard, founding publisher of Pool & Spa Marketing, with help from the founding publisher of Pools, Spas & Patios, Anita Hubbard.

"This was our most successful Art of Water event," says Anita Hubbard. "It was very gratifying to see the industry turn out to celebrate these awards honouring the industry's finest work."

Out of 224 entries submitted by 37 companies (including 10 new companies), there were 72 winners in the diamond, emerald, ruby and sapphire categories. Along with an award plaque presented during the ceremony, winners will be featured in the Spring 2009 issue of Pools, Spas, & Patios, which is distributed through magazine outlets and select pool and hot tub retail stores across Canada.

Award winning pools and spas will also be featured in the upcoming March/April issue of Pool & Spa Marketing.