Two District 69 businesses are finalists in separate categories for the this year’s science and technology innovation awards.
Leemar Excavator Components of Parksville and Buddyrider of Errington are among 17 finalists in six categories for this year’s Mid-Island Science, Technology and Innovation Council (MISTIC) Innovation Awards, which will be handed out Nov. 2 in Nanaimo (tickets are $90 and can be purchased online through www.misticawards.com).
Errington Volunteer Fire Chief Colin Catton’s invention, the Buddyrider, has been getting a lot of media attention this year, and may be on a future episode of the popular CBC program, The Dragon’s Den (appearances on the show are kept secret until aired).
Catton’s dog seat for a bicycle, and his business, have been nominated in Innovative Start-Up of the Year category for the MISTIC awards.
Leemar has been nominated in the category of Environmental Excellence. The company was established in 1986 in Parksville and serves the Vancouver Island logging industry as a manufacturer of specialized logging and road-building equipment.
“Over the course of its 25 years, the focus has changed to specializing in the rebuilding of components for hydraulic excavators,” says the company’s website. “Currently, the company occupies over 80,000 square feet of re-manufacturing area, including office for administration, warehousing and bays for welding, cleaning and dismantling of excavators. Our facility is equipped with sophisticated, state of the art equipment and a knowledgeable staff with many years of experience.”
– NEWS Staff
