BOW VALLEY – Businesses across the region were celebrated in October at the Bow Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Business Excellence Awards.
With almost 100 nominations across six award categories, Chamber president Janet Nystedt said it was a great opportunity to acknowledge the amazing work local businesses are doing across the valley.
“It is not always about making money or the bottom line, our local businesses are part of the community,” Nystedt said. “Whether it is acknowledging community impact, innovation, customer service or a new business, I think it is a great opportunity to showcase businesses in a different light and the spirit, energy and positive contribution we make in the community.”
It is the second year for the Chamber’s awards and the organization itself, which is a member-based business advocacy group in the Bow Valley. The Chamber has close to 300 businesses and aims to foster an inclusive and sustainable environment for businesses, as well as networking, education and event opportunities.
“Our business community is vibrant, energetic, diverse, ever-changing and evolving to meet, represent and drive the conversation around how economic development and businesses work in the valley,” Nystedt said. “We have such energy and I do think we have an entrepreneurial business community. (The awards) demonstrate that businesses give back and try to do things that are new and exciting and in a valley that is always changing and growing.”
This year a new award was developed to recognize young entrepreneurs in the Bow Valley. The award recognized outstanding achievement by someone under the age of 35 years old and a business that exemplifies qualities of effective leadership, innovation and potential for growth.
Nystedt said it also recognizes that being an entrepreneur is a viable career path for young people in the Bow Valley and it was a great opportunity to showcase their commitment to the wider community.
The award went to Project A, a gallery owned by Jade Ansley. She said the honour meant a lot to her as a young business owner. Her business was also nominated for the innovation award.
“Growing up in the Bow Valley, my parents were small business owners, so I was around it as a kid,” Ansley said. “It was pretty natural for me (to open my own business).”
She credited the quantity and quality of existing small businesses in the community as providing context, resources and support for her to open her own business. It was even more special for Ansley that the award was presented by mortgage broker Trisha Isaac, who has been a mentor for her.
Project A began as a pop-up in 2015 and celebrated a permanent Main Street location opening in Canmore last November. The store’s format provides elegant and modern displays for start-up businesses that produce handmade products from across Canada.
“I think the whole movement of supporting local fits well with our business, since we support Canadian artists,” Ansley said. “By supporting my business, you are supporting
75 small businesses across the country and I think people are really happy to see that.”
For the category of Bow Valley Business of the Year, the award went to Falcon Crest Lodge, which has been operated by Clique Hotels and Resorts. In its nomination, Falcon Crest was acknowledged for being consistently ranked as the best hotel property in the valley on TripAdvisor.
Bow Valley BBQ, Cornerstone Theatre and Embody Pilates were also nominated.
The award for innovation was handed out to a Canmore and Banff business. Flying Pigs Recycling received the honour in Canmore and Lettuce Lads received the honour in Banff.
Lettuce Lads, owned by Caleb Allen, Devon DaDalt and Kyle West have a provisional patent on a hydroponic growing system to provide sustainable and healthy food to residents in the valley.
The three met through a shared interest in establishing a hydroponics operation in Canmore, but soon realized it could be an expensive process. That led to the patent-pending system that uses an 8x40-foot shipping container that houses 8,000 plants at any given time and with automation, reduces growing time and labour.
The Bow Valley Customer Service Award went to Double E Motors, with Viewpoint Eyecare, Bow Valley Credit Union and Cornerstone Theatre’s wedding services also nominated.
A New Business Award was also handed out for both Banff and Canmore, going to Crowfoot Media and Canmore Brewing Company respectively. Also nominated were Banff Walk and Fusebox Coworking Studio.
The Community Impact Award went to the Bow Valley Credit Union. Grizzly Paw Brewing Company,
SC2 Strength Training Performance and Wapiti Sports and Outfitters were also nominated.
