- Winners, the off-price fashion chain of more than 50 stores, has picked Harrod & Mirlin to handle its creative account recently resigned by agency of three years, Gee Jeffery & Partners. Media buying for Winners, which has set its 1996 budget at $6 million, is with Harrison Young Pesonen & Newell.

- Prime Restaurant Group has named Stringer Veroni Ketchum of Toronto to handle advertising for its four restaurant chains: Casey's, East Side Mario's, Pat and Mario's and Lime Rickey's. The account was previously with United Business Communications. Goodgoll Curtis and Communique Group were on the short-list.

- Purolator Courier has given its $4-million-plus media buying assignment to Harrison Young Pesonen & Newell of Toronto. Also in the running were Media Buying Services and Initiative Media. The business was previously with Lowe SMS. Bensimon/Byrne handles creative.

- Thrifty's, a Dylex-owned chain of 108 of clothing shops geared to 16 to 29 year olds, has named Vaughn Whelan & Partners as its new creative agency.

The media buying portion of the $1.4-million account has not yet been finalized. A new campaign is expected early March.

- Para Paints has awarded its national advertising account to Publicite Martin of Montreal. Communications-Plus Associates continues to handle public relations in English Canada.

- Weetabix of Canada has chosen Anderson Advertising of Toronto for its leading cereal brands, Weetabix and Alpen. The account, valued at $1 million, has been in-house for the past two years.