A MILESTONE WORTH CELEBRATING
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Creating an experience that honoured De Havilland Canada's legacy while celebrating the people shaping its future.
The groundbreaking of De Havilland Field marked the beginning of a bold new chapter for De Havilland Canada. With just three weeks to plan and execute the event, our team transformed an active construction site into a memorable experience for nearly 700 employees, government leaders, industry partners, owners, and media. Every detail was designed to celebrate DHC's rich history while helping guests imagine the future of Canadian aerospace.
The Opportunity
The groundbreaking was more than the start of a new manufacturing campus. It represented one of the most significant milestones in De Havilland Canada's history. The challenge was to create an experience that honoured the company's legacy while bringing a vision to life for a facility that had yet to be built. Every creative element needed to build excitement, tell a cohesive story, and help guests understand what De Havilland Field would become.
My Role
Working alongside an incredible cross-functional team, I led the creative development of the event's visual identity, including the groundbreaking video, branding, signage, environmental décor, and a commemorative t-shirt gifted to every De Havilland Canada employee.With an ambitious three-week timeline, my role extended from concept through execution. I developed the event's visual language, art directed the groundbreaking animation in collaboration with the architectural team, and on event day directed multiple photographers and videographers to ensure the experience and its defining moments were captured in a way that reflected the significance of the occasion.
Bringing It to Life
The centrepiece of the event was a video introducing the vision for De Havilland Field. Working closely with the architectural team and their animator, I art directed the animation, ensuring the campus was represented accurately while telling a compelling story about De Havilland Canada's future. Translating technical drawings into an engaging visual narrative required close collaboration, balancing architectural precision with storytelling that would resonate with employees, government leaders, industry partners, and media alike.That same visual language carried throughout the event, from branded signage and environmental graphics to presentation visuals, décor, and employee keepsakes, creating a cohesive experience from arrival through the ceremony.
A Favourite Moment
As proud as I was of the creative work, the moment that stayed with me happened after everything was in place. Watching De Havilland Canada's historic aircraft arrive overhead as hundreds of employees gathered for the ceremony was incredibly emotional. You could feel the pride in the crowd. For many, it wasn't just the start of a new manufacturing campus. It was a celebration of the company's legacy and the future they were helping build.
Standing there, I realized the event had become something much bigger than signage, branding, or video. It had brought people together around a shared purpose and reminded them why they were part of De Havilland Canada.
Those are the moments I love being part of. The ones where thoughtful planning, collaboration, and creative storytelling help create an experience people will remember long after the event is over.
The Outcome
Delivered in just three weeks, the groundbreaking welcomed nearly 700 De Havilland Canada employees alongside government leaders, industry partners, owners, and media to celebrate a defining moment in the company's history.The event successfully connected DHC's proud heritage with its future, creating a shared sense of excitement, strengthening employee pride, and helping people visualize the future of De Havilland Field long before the first building was complete.
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