The Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce has decided to downsize the awards ceremony for the Business Excellence Awards this year due to Covid and the restrictions surrounding it.
The awards ceremony, which is usually a much grander affair, will be restricted to winners and their plus ones only. In the past, the ceremony has been held at the Tweedsmuir Rod and Gun Club however, with the province’s order to shut down banquet halls, based on Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recommendations, the chamber had too look for alternatives. The ceremony will now be held at the Chamber itself.
The Businesses Excellence Awards are held by the Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce, to recognize the efforts and achievements of the local business community.
The nomination period closed Sept. 14 and finalists will be chosen by a committee selected by the chamber in the upcoming days.
“A lot of communities have altogether cancelled the awards so we are thankful that we are at least able to host these, even if it is on a smaller scale. We are very grateful to the businesses who have committed to sponsoring the event also – Rio Tinto, Burns Lake Comfor and Babine Forest Products are just some of our top sponsors,” said chamber Manager Randi Amendt.
The award sponsors this year are the Burns Lake and District Chamber of Commerce, NAPA Auto Parts, The Tahtsa Group, Free Growing Forestry Ltd., CIBC, Rio Tinto, Bulkley Valley Credit Union, Save on Foods, Takysie Lake Resort, Woods N’ Water and RBC.
A total of 11 awards will be given out during the Business Excellence Awards ceremony for different categories.
For Not-For-Profit, the finalists are Beacon Theatre, Lakes Animal Friendship Society and Lakes District arts Council; for Outstanding Customer Service Award, the finalists are OK Tire, Pharmasave and Wild Roots Flowers & Gifts; for Indigenous Business of the Year Award, the finalists are Key-Oh Lodge, Subway and Rainbow Gas Bar; for Paul Sandercott Business of the Year Award, the finalists are Alternative Grounds Coffee & Tea House, Industrial Transformers and Woods N’ Water Sports and Recreation; for Retail Excellence Awards, the finalists are Green Zone Grocer, Blu Jay Sports and Burns Lake Auto Supply; finalists for Resource Industry Award are Babine Forest Products, ComFor Management Services Ltd. and Tahtsa Group, finalists for Professional Service Aware are ACI Computer Services, OK Tire and Lakes District News; finalists for New Business of the Year Award are Wild Roots Flowers & Gifts, Ursa Minor Brewing and Grey Bear Ranch and Lodge; finalists for Recreation, Leisure & Hospitality Excellence Award are Takysie Lake Resort, Woods N’ Water Sports and Recreation and Omineca Ski Club and the finalists for Customer Service Employee of the Year Award are Jenni Rowland of OK Tire, Annamarie Douglas of Lakes District News, Carla Charlie of Subway, Seren Llewellyn of Pharmasave and Colleen Piper of ComFor Management Services Ltd.
The winners will be notified in the first week of October and the awards will be held on Oct. 17.
Priyanka Ketkar
Multimedia journalist
@PriyankaKetkar
priyanka.ketkar@ldnews.net
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