Twenty-eight Canadian companies were honoured at the 2008 IABC Gold Quill Awards. The awards, sponsored by the International Association of Business Communicators, were held Monday in New York City.

DDB Canada was the big Canadian winner, taking home four separate awards. DDB Edmonton won an award of excellence in the Economic, Social and Environmental Development category for its Healthy U Family campaign on behalf of client Alberta Health and Wellness, Family Branch. The campaign also won the Jake Wittmer Award for “outstanding worldwide research commissioned or developed by an organizational communicator.” DDB Edmonton also won an award of merit for the Town of Banff Construction Project in the Other Graphic Design category.

“We’re extremely pleased to be recognized with these prestigious awards,” said Martha Jamieson, vice-president, brand integrity group at DDB Edmonton, in a statement. “The awards are an acknowledgment that we’re helping raise the bar and produce compelling, creative programs for our clients using the best communications practices.”

The Toronto branch of DDB Public Relations also won an award of excellence in Media Relations for its work with the Ontario Science Centre’s recent Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition.

Other notable winners included Extreme Group’s Halifax office, which won an award of merit for its Smokers’ Helpline Reaching Workers campaign, Swing Think Inc.’s award of excellence for DefineYourself.ca, the Rotman School of Management for its own website, and Tap Communications, which won two awards of merit for client Synergy Credit Union.

More than 100 awards of merit and excellence were given to entrants from countries including Canada, the United States, Brazil and Australia.