Duane Hicks
District businesses will be in the spotlight next Saturday (Nov. 8) for the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s 13th-annual business awards, presented by Bell.
Chamber manager Dawn Booth said organizers are gearing up for the gala, which will be held at La Place Rendz-Vous.
“It’s going to be great, it’s going to be lots of fun,” she enthused. “We have Fort Frances Little Theatre coming and they’re going to do skits throughout the night.
“It’s going to be awesome, it’s going to be hilarious entertainment.
“It’s going to add a little extra to the awards this year, so it’s not sitting for three hours straight listening to people talk,” she added. “Lots of fun.”
Booth said the Chamber ended up with 86 nominations listing 74 different nominees this year.
“We had quite a few businesses and individuals that were nominated for multiple awards or multiple times in one category,” she noted.
This year’s awards, and the nominees for each category, include:
Accessibility Award
•Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board;
•Stand Up for Mental Health—CMHA;
•Supported Employment Transitions—Community Living Fort Frances & District; and
•The Westend Weekly
Business of the Year (1-15 employees)
•Aya’s Reflexology & Japanese Body Massage;
•Dimit Bus Lines Ltd.;
•M.L. Caron Electric;
•Pharmasave;
•Suds & Tubs;
•Super 8 Motel;
•TOP Music Productions; and
•Window & Door Store/D&A Construction
Business of the Year (16+ employees)
•Canada Safeway;
•Canadian Tire; and
•La Place Rendez-Vous
Business Woman of the Year
•Deb Cornell (Rainy River Elk Company);
•Tonia Dolph (Northland Kitchen & Design Consulting);
•Monique Dufresne (Monique’s Lawg Caybun Restaurant);
•Brenda Elias (Scrap-a-Lot);
•Lillian Gerley (The UPS Store);
•Sandra McNay (Masquerade);
•Barbara Morgan (Morgan Associates);
•Bobbie Parker (Mr. Sub); and
•Candice Thomson (Dairy Queen)
Customer Service Award (Business)
•Cam Belluz Masonry;
•Canadian Tire Auto Centre;
•D&K Automotive;
•Enterprise Rent-a-Car;
•Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary;
•Good Impressions Printing;
•M&M Meat Shops;
•M.L. Caron Electric;
•Northwoods Gallery & Gifts;
•Pruysdirect & Art by Cher;
•Sight & Sound Audiotronic;
•Super 8 Motel;
•Tagg’s Source for Sports; and
•Tompkins Hardware
Customer Service Award (Individual)
•Brian Beers (Wilson’s Business Solutions);
•Edwin Bruyere (Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary);
•Sheri Christiansen (The UPS Store);
•Nicole Glueheisen (Nirvana;
•Janice Haglund (The Bargain Shop);
•Debbie Hallikas (Domino’s);
•Shari Humphrey (Jayne’s TLC);
•Sylvie Mathews (The Ear Clinic);
•Trish McBride (Super 8);
•Erika Rencher (Town of Rainy River);
•David Schwartz (Safeway Pharmacy);
•Aya Sletmoen (Aya’s Reflexology & Japanese Body Massage); and
Matt Sweigard (Sight & Sound Audiotronic)
Employee of the Year
•Edwin Bruyere (Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary);
•Debbie Hallikas (Domino’s); and
•Amber Sheloff (Fort Frances Mohawk)
Entrepreneur of the Year
•Clare Brubacher (C-Tech Mechanical);
•Mark Caron (M.L. Caron Electric);
•Pat and Kim Cornell (Cornell Farms);
•Doug Kitowski (Doug Kitowski Trucking);
•Dale Lowes (Lowes Furniture & Appliances);
•Chris McKinnon (Skates & Blades/M&M Meat Shops); and
•Kim Metke (Pharmasave/Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary)
Safety Award (Business or Individual)
•D&A Construction;
•Family & Children’s Services;
•Fort Frances Times; and
•Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition
Small Business Trainer of the Year
•CC Complex;
•Daryl’s Custom Landscapes Ltd.;
•Ed Kaun & Sons Ltd.;
•Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary; and
•M.L. Caron Electric
Tony Beyak Volunteer of the Year
•Paul Bock;
•Lyle Dolph;
•Mark Kowalchuk and Joyce Cunningham; and
•Tanya Ness
Booth also said the James Paul Award will be given out this year. This is a rare award which is given to businesses or individuals for their outstanding contribution and years of dedication to the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.
It’s only been given out to a handful of recipients in the past, including Kim Metke, NorFab Building Components, Abitibi-Consolidated, Tony Beyak, and Gord McBride.
Booth stressed anyone, not just Chamber members and the nominees themselves, is welcome to attend the awards gala and support those businesses and individuals nominated.
To order tickets, call 274-5773. They cost $45/person for Chamber members and $50 for non-members (buy a table of eight and get a 10 percent discount).
Cocktails are at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30. There also will be a silent auction.
