Duane Hicks
A sold-out crowd packed the upstairs of La Place Rendez-Vous on Saturday night to see district businesses honoured at the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce’s 13th-annual business awards, presented by Bell.
Canadian Tire was honoured as Business of the Year (16+ employees) while M.L. Caron Electric won Business of the Year (1-15 employees).
An honourable mention for the latter award went to Dimit Bus Lines Ltd.
Ed Kaun & Sons Ltd. was named Small Business Trainer of the Year while Pat and Kim Cornell (Cornell Farms) were recognized collectively as Entrepreneur of the Year.
Tompkins Hardware won the Customer Service Award (Business), with Debbie Hallikas of Domino’s taking home the Customer Service Award (Individual).
Deb Cornell of the Rainy River Elk Company was named Business Woman of the Year while pharmacist Edwin Bruyere of the Fort Frances Clinic Dispensary was honoured as Employee of the Year.
Lyle Dolph, 14, received the Tony Beyak Memorial Award for his extensive volunteer work in the community.
Mark Kowalchuk and Joyce Cunningham received an honourable mention in this category for their work on the fundraising campaign for the new Fort Frances Public Library and Technology Centre.
The Rainy River District Social Services Administration Board was given the Accessibility Award, with an honourable mention going to the Canadian Mental Health Association’s “Stand Up for Mental Health” event.
Family & Children’s Services was honoured with the Safety Award (Business or Individual) for their “Project Safe Hallowe’en” (this same program also was recognized last week in Winnipeg when the Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition received the Safe Communities Canada Award of Excellence).
And finally, the James Paul Award, a rare honour given out only five times in the past, was presented to B93fm for its outstanding contribution and years of dedication to the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce.
The Fort Frances Board of Trade was formed by James Paul and incorporated under the Boards of Trade Act in 1909. The group came to be called the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce in 1928 and remains registered under that name today.
The Chamber ended up with 86 nominations listing 74 different nominees this year (some of the businesses and individuals were nominated for multiple awards or multiple times in one category).
Jackie Lampi-Hughes of Energy Fitness emceed the awards banquet, which also featured a silent auction and entertainment by Fort Frances Little Theatre (Brian Hagarty, Joyce McCormick, Cathy Richards, Laurie Walsh, and Naomi Woods).
