Strong and Free Emblem Inc

March 31, 2007 Cover Photo: William Hart
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Send this to 10 proud Canadians...

Hello fellow Canadians, 2010 is our year to show the world that we are proud of our STRONG & FREE country ...
see you at the Olympics !

SEE VIDEO....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-S7g2_-ASA&feature=channel

SHOUT IT OUT ...
I am proud to be a STRONG & FREE Canadian !!!!

STRONG & FREE is an emblem designed for patriotic Canadians that can be proudly displayed on your home, person or vehicle. When I was in high school I visited my cousins in the US and saw the American eagle everywhere I went. I believe that Canada is the greatest country in the world and I want to show everyone that I am proud to be a STRONG & FREE Canadian... that's why I designed this maple leaf emblem with these powerful words from our national anthem.

As 2009 comes to an end the STRONG & FREE RV coast to coast journey begin. On January 22, 2010 the STRONG & FREE RV will depart from the east coast enroute to the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver completing my goal of spreading the STRONG & FREE Wave of patriotism across Canada started with the presentation to Frank McKenna in 2007 at the Big Splash in Saint John harbour.

Since then STRONG & FREE has been presented in Thorold Canada's most patriotic city, in Ottawa Nov 11th at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, been shipped to soldiers in Afghanistan, taken to Nunavut via ice breaker by the Cape Farewell climate change expedition.

The STRONG & FREE plaque is proudly displayed on homes from Newfoundland to British Columbia and by proud Canadians living in other parts of the world like Bermuda and Australia. STRONG & FREE products are available in over 500 stores across Canada and through various licensees online and is a 2009 Dragons' Den contestant. All because Canadians are ready to make a statement about how it feels to be a Canadian. Thank you all for your support and encouragement, without it I could not have continued this quest.

We will be handing out STRONG & FREE stickers and Colour Me Canadian / Colore-moi Canadien books to children along the journey to teach kids early about our great country and we hope to see you along the way.

OK so I've done my job, followed my dream to make this happen, one person, one ordinary Canadian ... the rest is up to you...

It's our turn Canada don't be shy... shout it out ...
I AM PROUD TO BE A STRONG & FREE CANADIAN !!!!

STRONG & FREE RV heading out for Vancouver 2010 Olympics

Matthew Sherwood/Telegraph-Journal

In the photo are (left to right) Denise Dow, president of Strong & Free, Derek Dobson, owner of Leisure Time RV Centre that is sponsoring Dow, and Heath Morrell exairfx.com.

Hockey Jerseys will have
Strong & Free emblem
Published Tuesday December 22nd, 2009

Denise Dow of Quispamsis is about to see
two Canadian icons merge

The creator behind the Strong & Free emblem has signed a licensing agreement with IceJerseys.com, a Canadian company specializing in high-quality custom hockey jerseys that are shipped all over the world. Soon, she expects to see her maple leaf emblem emblazoned on custom-made jerseys that people can wear to display their Canadian pride.

It was one of the ideas she pitched earlier this year when she appeared as a contestant before the 2009 Dragon's Den panel. "A hockey jersey was important to me because I did present a hockey jersey to one of the Dragons," she said.

It's been slightly more than three years since Dow hatched the business idea for her patriotic emblem after seeing many homes in the United States proudly displaying the eagle symbol on their homes. She thought Canada should have its own icon, so she plucked three maple leaves from her backyard and started sketching.

Now she has a varied product line including apparel, plaques, a colouring book, pins, magnets and stickers carrying her emblem available online and in more than 500 stores across Canada, including Wal-Mart, Zellers, Sears and Canadian Tire. The latest deal will add custom hockey jerseys to the line.

"I hope Canadians love them, buy them and wear them," she said. "The fun part about a Strong & Free jersey is that it's not about a specific team. That was the whole idea behind the Strong & Free. "It's for all Canadians, for all walks of life and from all places that they come from. So wearing a Strong & Free hockey jersey just means you are a proud Canadian."

On Jan. 22, Dow will be travelling to the West Coast in the Strong & Free RV, fulfilling a dream she had set for the company when she first launched it in 2006. Back then, knowing the Winter Olympics was coming in 2010, she aimed to have the Strong & Free line of products known from coast to coast.

"This is kind of the completion of that goal," she said. While Dow won't be focused on selling her product line while in Vancouver - she doesn't want to be infringing on Olympic product sales - she'll use the opportunity while attending some of the sporting events to make her emblem known.

"So it's not so much a sales trip as it is a marketing trip and raising awareness," she said. "Once the Olympics are over, I think there is going to be a huge void of Canadiana, and there is going to be such a high feeling of Canadian pride that I feel Strong & Free will be a great symbol to fill that void

Erin Dwyer writes the Developments column for the Telegraph-Journal. It appears Tuesday. If you have an item or suggestions contact us at dwyer.erin@telegraphjournal.com or 1-506-645-3338.

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KVStyle Editor's Note July 11, 2008 - Candice Mac Lean

Positive thinkers make dreams a reality in the Valley

     If you're not living under a rock, you've seen the Strong & Free emblem a Quispamsis woman created more than a year ago in her backyard.
     Denise Dow hatched the idea of the Canadian emblem, which has three maple leaves above a banner with the words 'Strong & Free' to promote patriotism.
     Last year, Dow said she wanted to create a wave of Strong & Free from the East Coast to the West Coast, and she accomplished just that.
This week, KV Style features a story about Dow's most recent success.
     After meeting the emblem's creator last week, an idea struck me. There is something about this community that breeds positivism, drive and momentum.
     With this year's philosophical craze behind books like Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, Dow's attitude made me wonder: could a positive frame of mide really attract good things to a person's life?
     When she described the Canadian emblem, Dow oozed passion. She said each time she recieves positive feedback about the emblem she is fuelled further to continue the hard work behind the craft. This is an attitude at work everyday here in the Kennebecasis Valley.
     Is it the young families? Is it the picturesque neighbourhoods? Is it the sunny weather? Whatever it is, it's working and Dow is an example.
     "It's so good to see people working and enjoying what they're doing," is what Dow said to me as I left her Quispamsis home. I couldn't agree more.
     To learn about Dow's next Strong & Free project, turn to page 9.

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"Strong and Free" Quispamsis woman designs Canadian emblem

Denise believes many other Canadians are patriotic and want to show their pride as well, which is why the Quispamsis resident created an emblem that can be mounted on homes, businesses and cottages. Made of high-impact plastic, it consists of three maple leafs over a banner that states, �Strong & Free�.

�I wanted something that Canadians would identify with, and �Strong & Free� is a core part of our anthem and represents how Canadians feel about their country,� said Denise, a 48-year-old project executive and mother of teenage children.

The creation of a Canadian emblem is a long-time dream come true for Denise. As a teenager, when she used to visit her cousins in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, she noticed that many homes proudly featured the American eagle emblem. She often thought how nice it would be if Canadians had something similar for their own homes.

�Canadians have every right to be proud of their country, as we support human rights and do our best to be good world citizens,� she said.

Last fall, Denise decided it was time to turn her dream into a reality. After coming up with a design (she did so by tracing maple leaves from her own backyard), she pitched her idea to Canadian Tire. To her delight, the company�s outdoor d�cor buyer agreed to place it on national trial in 455 stores across Canada. The Rothesay store already has some on the shelf in the seasonal department and is collaborating with other Atlantic stores to do the same.

Denise said the feedback from many consumers about Strong & Free has been very positive, with comments such as, �It�s about time Canada has something like this.� Some, however, were more hesitant, wondering whether Canadians were as patriotic as Americans.

�I feel strongly that Canadians are very patriotic. We are modest but we are also proud,� Denise said. �My intention is to create a virtual wave from the East Coast to the West Coast, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean � a wave of Strong & Free � to arrive in time for the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver.�

The emblem is 15 inches wide by nine inches tall and comes in four colours � black, pewter, gold and copper. Denise pointed out that the black finish is such that it can be painted to match the colours of one�s home. The emblems are low-maintenance and can be hung over the garage, by the front entrance, on mailboxes or on RVs, camper trailers or cottages.

The emblems, which also come in a French version, are being manufactured by Paul LeBlanc of Plastech, a company in Notre Dame, near Moncton. Denise was overcome with emotion when Mr. LeBlanc sent her first shipment of samples.

�I opened the box and tears came to my eyes,� she said. �I couldn�t believe that Strong & Free was actually being manufactured for real. I was overwhelmed. At that point I felt like I had made my dream come true.�

Denise says she is not an artist, but as a child, she always enjoyed tracing and woodburning. She also �comes from a family of do-it-yourselfers.� Before pitching her idea to Canadian Tire, for example, she wanted to have a prototype made to show executives along with her design. When she discovered it would be too time-consuming, not to mention costly, she decided to make her own. She carved one out of wood in her sister�s workshop over her Christmas holidays.

�Both my mother and my father are very creative that way,� Denise said. �In fact, I think we enjoy the thrill of solving challenges like that � finding ways to create things we need.�

Even though getting her company � Strong & Free Emblem Inc. � up and running and marketing her product has been a very time-consuming venture for Denise, it is, in fact, only a sideline. She already works full-time as a project executive for IBM. She has been working in the computer industry since 1976, well before computers were part of mainstream living.

Denise has received overwhelming support and encouragement for her venture from family, friends and business contacts. Her family has been especially supportive, even helping with the business. Her daughter for example, put stickers on the back of the emblems and her son has been distributing promotional cards. Denise also wanted to thank fellow KVer Philip Tetreault of City & District Web Development, who designed and hosts the Strong & Free website.

�I�ve always been very fortunate and have many great people in my circle. I have a good life and I try to live every day to its fullest,� Denise said. �At this point in my life, I am planning for retirement and I also want to give back. I am doing this for my children and for the benefit of other Canadians. The message I have for the next generation of young Canadians is this � even a computer geek like me can make a lifelong dream come true in something that�s totally out of my field. You can do anything; you just need to believe in yourself. No other country compares to Canada when it comes to opportunity and standard of living, so be proud to be Strong & Free.�

In addition to her emblems, Denise plans to produce other Strong & Free items as well, including jacket patches, bumper magnets and stickers and lapel pins. All have been ordered through Key Industries in Saint John. For more information about the product, visit www.strongandfreeemblem.com.

Paula, thank you for your encouragement, your wonderful article and allowing me to use it for my website ! Denise
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