Corporate Profile
Established in 2000 Excalibur Communications is a full service public relations firm providing expert strategic communications and issues management counsel to its clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in London, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
Mary and Margaret McLaughlin are sisters and partners in Excalibur. For many years, before creating the family firm, the two led individual professional lives following similar career paths holding senior positions in corporate communications in the public and private sectors including the Archdiocese of Toronto, the Government of Canada (Minister’s Office), the Government of Ontario (Minister’s Office), The Mutual Group and Ontario Hydro.
In its seven year history, among many other assignments, Excalibur:
- Designed, developed and implemented a communications and government relations strategy for HELP Clean Water, a multi-year, $350 million dollar regional infrastructure project for Southwestern Ontario shared by three levels of government. In October 2007 the Federal Government identified HELP Clean Water as a funding priority under Infrastructure Canada with an initial commitment of $50 million
- Provided strategic advice, influenced high level decisions, brought parties back to the negotiating table as liaison between the Government of Canada and Roman Catholic entities involved in long term negotiations resulting in The Residential Schools Settlement Agreement
- Developed and implemented an effective strategic communications plan for the Diocese of St. George’s in Newfoundland, which was facing potential bankruptcy due to cases of sexual abuse.
- Managed all communications and media relations strategies for World Youth Day – Days in the Diocese (London), 2002
- Helped VIA Rail Canada restore its reputation with the people, politicians and media in London (KABOOM!)
- Reversed the negative publicity suffered by London Hydro enabling it to win back the respect and support of its customers and the media (“The Kilowatt Hour” a multi-media community public relations campaign)
- Provided strategic advice and counsel to London’s Chief Administrative Officer for the public release of a sensitive report from the Ontario Fire Marshal to the City of London
Excalibur’s reputation with the media (including major Catholic publications) locally, regionally and nationally has resulted in client stories in newspapers in London, Toronto, New York, Washington and Europe and local, national and international radio and television coverage of client issues and events.
Excalibur Communications is an Agency of Record for the City of London, the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and the Ontario Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal.