And The Winner Is... The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce Awards Celebration

In addition to our regular Business Awards, this year we were thrilled to take over the administration of the Gold Star Awards, which recognize excellence in customer service in our community.

This year’s nominees were celebrated during a ceremony sponsored by ATB Financial, Stringam LLP and MNP which took place on October 19 at Shell Place in MacDonald Island Park. 

And, without further ado, here are the winners!

The Business of the Year award recognizes a Wood Buffalo business employing more than 21 people which has made an outstanding contribution in the combined areas of business success, innovation and community service. This year’s Business of the Year award recipient was East Village Pub and Eatery!

Small Business of the Year award is designed to recognize an outstanding Wood Buffalo business employing between 6-20. This award is sponsored by ATCO. This year’s recipient of the Small Business of the Year award is Hines Health Services.

The purpose of Micro Business of the Year award is to recognize a Wood Buffalo business employing up to five people. The Micro Business of the Year is sponsored by Balsom Communications and this year’s winner is Colour Me Pretty Boutique.

The Female Business Leader of the Year, sponsored by Canadian Tire, recognizes a businesswoman who demonstrates leadership and vision; continually invests in the development and growth of herself and those around her; and consistently gives to her community. This year’s Female Business Leader of the Year Award recipient is Maxine Willocks of Chez Max Jamaican Cuisine and Catering.

The Chamber has partnered with the Northeastern Alberta Aboriginal Business Association to develop an Aboriginal Business of the Year Award. This award is sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada and recognizes an aboriginally owned and operated company that has demonstrated an outstanding contribution to the Wood Buffalo business community. The recipient of the Aboriginal Business of the Year award is Fort McKay Group of Companies.

The Artpreneur Award is a collaboration between the Wood Buffalo Arts Council and the Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce. The award recognizes individual artists, craftspeople, and arts-based business which have made an outstanding contribution in the combined areas of business success, innovation, and community services, and have added value to the local creative economy. This year’s award recipient is Kathy’s Fiber Arts and Crafts.

The Leader of Tomorrow Award is presented to an individual between the age of 18-25, who has shown commitment and genuine care for the community through their volunteerism and community participation. CNOOC-Nexen is this year’s award sponsor. This year’s recipient of the Leader of Tomorrow award is Katie Runnalls.

With the Gold Stars, we added six new awards to our roster.  We are excited to recognize the following Gold Star winners:

• Accommodations: Radisson Hotel and Suites Fort McMurray
• Transportation: Diversified Transportation Ltd.
• Personal Services: Oxygen Yoga
• Food and Beverage sponsored by Melanie Galea Lac la Biche Realty: Mitchell’s Café
• Professional Services: Don Scott McMurray Law Office
• Overall Gold Star Customer Service Award: Dave Hill Pharmacy

The winners of this year’s awards were decided by a combination of online votes by the public and an evaluation by an awards committee. 

The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce would like to extend congratulations to all of the nominees and the award recipients. We would also like to thank all of our sponsors for their contribution to the event.

The Fort McMurray Chamber of Commerce strives to be the voice of business in our region and events like our awards gala would not be possible without the support we receive from our members, local businesses and the community so thank you!

Photos by Fotosource