Squamish Chamber Business Excellence Awards Finalists named

It’s that time of year again when Squamish folks get to celebrate all things business.

Finalists for the Squamish Chamber Business Excellence Awards have been announced, and locals are encouraged to vote for their favourite businesses and business owners before voting closes on Nov. 15.

“The Business Excellence Awards is a program that the Squamish chamber runs every year, and it's an opportunity for folks in the business community to recognize their peers and to celebrate their own and others accomplishments for the past year,” Chamber executive director Anne MacKenzie said.

“It's really an opportunity for us to shine a spotlight on businesses that maybe you haven't had an opportunity to patronize yet, or maybe you don't know about these new businesses that have just opened up in Squamish.

“It's really an opportunity for us to celebrate and to talk about them and to make connections in the business community.”

In a first for the Chamber, tickets for the awards event held at the Cheakamus Centre on Dec. 6 are all sold out. But there is a chance more could become available soon.

“I was very surprised and very excited. This has never really happened before,” MacKenzie told The Squamish Chief.

“We were at a much larger venue last year, and so I was mindful of that when we made the choice to go to a smaller, more intimate location. But even at the capacity that the Cheakamus Centre has, we still had more [room for people] than what we had attend last year, so I was confident that it was going to be OK.

“I will tell you we are going out to the Cheakamus Centre on Tuesday afternoon to physically move tables and chairs, to see how many we can fit in, and see if we can increase the capacity a little bit.

“We have started a waitlist, and if you don't already have your tickets, please contact the chamber to get your name on there because there may be more tickets coming available.”

The finalists

Arts & Entertainment:

Bill Manson Citizen Award:

Antje Cavanagh
Glenne Campbell
Murray Sovereign

Business Innovation:

Business Leader Award:

Felipe Angel – Squamish Connector
Karen Berrisford – Squamish Helping Hands Society
Shannon Lorenz – Bespoke Market

Community Builder:

Emerging Entrepreneur:

Allen Edwards – Trickster’s Hideout
Cierra Rohde- Dance Directions
Emily Shimwell – Graze Wilder/Dine Wilder

Environmental Impact:

Indigenous Business Award:

Medium-Large Business:

New Business Award:

Small Business Award:

Workplace Awards:

Why should you vote?

MacKenzie encourages people in the community to cast their vote to give recognition to their favourite businesses in town.

“I think there's a lot of interest and a lot of camaraderie in the business community, and people really want to come out and not only celebrate their own achievements but really celebrate and cheer on what everyone else in the community is doing as well,” she said.

“I don't think we often get opportunities like this to celebrate businesses in our community or to tell someone that; we love what they're doing and that we see what they're doing.

“I think so often business owners and entrepreneurs are working so hard in their business and on their business, and there isn't always someone coming along and saying, ‘I see you, I recognize what you're doing, and I applaud you.’ So, casting a vote is you doing that for that business.”

To vote, go to the Squamish Chamber of Commerce website.