Stettler's dedication to business excellence was recognized at the Board of Trade (BOT) awards gala this past Thursday, Oct. 20 as local businesses and long-term establishments were honoured for their work in the community.
With a catered meal and Hoja as entertainment for the event, the Board of Trade pulled out all stops to make the evening a memorable one.
Vicki Leuck of local radio station Q93.3 was the master of ceremonies and kept up the pace of the evening, ensuring that the presenters and award recipients were in sequence.
The evening began with Stettler Board of Trade Vice-President Dave Goodwin's speech, who welcomed all the attendees, "Thank you for joining us tonight as we celebrate the accolades of local businesses and citizens. Stettler is truly a great place to live and do business."
"The Stettler Regional Board of Trade's mission is to develop and promote business and community opportunities in the Stettler region and we continually strive to engage business owners and potential investors to encourage networking, collaboration and mentorship," Goodwin added.
Speaking about the successes, Goodwin said that each of the projects that the BOT has spearheaded has seen astounding success, from a sold-out trade show to the participation of over 400 hunters from across Western Canada in the Badlands Pheasant Festival this month.
Goodwin's speech was followed by Deputy Reeve Les Stulberg's who was representing the county that evening.
"The Stettler Board of Trade represents the voice of business in this community and is an advocate on all matters impacting our business sector and the community at large," Stulberg said. "The County recognizes and thanks the Stettler Board of Trade for honouring businesses and individuals through this event tonight, who have distinguished themselves in the community by fostering growth, innovation, community service and excellence in their areas."
Stulberg added that the county was proud to be a part of the greater Stettler community and is one of the larger employers of the area and the bulk of their annual $25-30 million budget is spent right here in Stettler.
"Many have achieved not only local, but provincial, national and even global success for excellence in their products and service," he said. "They provide employment, stability, community commitment and enhance the quality of life for many County of Stettler residents."
The evening rolled on seamlessly as community members and guests enjoyed the delicious meal prepared and catered by Brenda's Country Catering with an exceptional selection of desserts; the bar flowed with Stettler RBC sponsoring the liquor and spirits for the evening and Hoja made sure the crowds were entertained as they performed their acapella style of music, some popular numbers, others being crowd favourites.
Each of the award recipients were honoured with a unique plaque, but it was easy to see that the three important awards of the night were kept towards the end of the evening – Youth, Male and Female Citizen of the Year.
Nicole Philpot, community volunteer and bowler par excellence was awarded the Youth Citizen of the Year by Stacey Benjamin, executive director of Stettler Regional Board of Trade and sponsored by Sean's No Frills.
The Female Citizen of the Year went to Bonnie Lynn, sponsored by Stettler Dodge Ltd. and the Male Citizen of the Year went to Donnie Lynn, sponsored by Royal LePage Central Ltd., both awards being presented by Doug and Mavis Smith.
The Lynns were recognized for the their "generosity, support and commitment" to the community of Stettler for decades.
NEXT WEEK: Read about the Citizens of the Year and some of the other award winners in our "2016 Salute to Stettler and Area Businesses."
• Male Citizen of the Year: Donnie Lynn
• Female Citizen of the Year: Bonnie Lynn
• Youth Citizen of the Year: Nicole Philpot
• Business of the Year: SolutionCorp Inc.
• Small Business of the Year: 59th Street Liquor Store
• New Business of the Year: Highway 12 Sales
• Employer of the Year: Brandi Page of Canalta
• Stettler Business Service Award: Diverse Signs
• Customer Service Award: Sobeys (Stettler)
• Stettler's Best Kept Secret: Tirecraft (Stettler)
• Heritage Award: Blokes Bakery (1981) Ltd.
• Business Collaboration Award: Aspen Ford Sales Ltd., Auto Xtra's Stettler Ltd., Automotive Buy and Sell Ltd.
• Shop Stettler Award: Metalex Metal Buildings Inc.
• Stettler Ambassador Award: Prairie Junction RV Resort
• Marketing Award: Bernie Jackson of Well's Furniture
• Learning in the Workplace: Stettler Hospital and Care Centre