Sylvie Paillard
[email protected]
Squamish residents have chosen their best and brightest, and the nominees are in for Businessperson of the Year and Citizen of the Year.
The Chamber of Commerce announced three nominated businesspersons and four nominated citizens during the annual general meeting luncheon Tuesday (Jan. 17).
Chamber members will cast their votes for citizen nominees Brian Marchant, Richard Trann and Brandy and Mark Wilmot.
Chamber members will also choose who is more deserving among businesspersons Don Evans of the West coast Railway Heritage Museum, Adam Hart of Clear Impact Consulting and Geoff Park of Camp Summit.
Marchant was born in Squamish and is perhaps best known for his dedication to the arts and such groups as the Howe Sound Performing Arts Association, the Squamish Arts Council, Wild at Art, the Sea to Sky Film Festival, Art and Soul, and charities like the Humanity Village and Rotary's Men of Sea to Sky and the Library's Books and Beer fundraiser.
Trann was instrumental in the organization and fundraising efforts of the new Squamish Skateboard Park, and has raised funds for Howe Sound Dance Academy, Squamish Nation Youth, Big Brothers, the Squamish Arts Council and others. Trann is in the early stages of organizing a community family/children's festival and has been working to establish a "below 0" winter shelter for the homeless in Squamish.
The Wilmots are in the process of adopting 10-year old Rryla DeWitt after her mother was killed in a motor vehicle accident on Hwy 99 last fall.
Evans was instrumental in locating the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish and has been a driving force in improving and expanding this rail history facility to the point where it is now visited by 45,000 people annually and home of the Royal Hudson.
Hart's focus is on creating understanding of how modern food practices and ingredients affect minds and bodies. Hart has become involved with many organizations in Squamish including the Strengthening Families Program, and the Circle of Friends which brings together many of the health care professionals in Squamish.
Park has taken the camp at the Easter Seals site and turned it into an outdoor education center highlighting the wonders of Squamish, and as such has taken a leadership role in adding value to the title "Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada".
Chamber members can vote online at www.squamishchamber.com until Wednesday (Jan. 25). The winner will be acknowledged and honoured at the 72nd President's Banquet and AGM Jan. 28.
