Outstanding citizens and businesses of the Stettler region were honoured as Stettler Board of Trade and Community Development hosted its annual Citizen of the Year and Business Awards Night on Oct. 22 at Stettler Community Hall.
Glorene Ellis was named Female Citizen of the Year.
Owen Blake was honoured as Male Citizen of the Year.
(See profiles in Spotlight section on page 2.)
Several Business Awards were presented as Board of Trade executive director Keith Ryder served as master of ceremonies for the evening.
• Business of the Year – Savage Value Drug Mart.
“It’s a big honour to receive this award and my staff makes our business,” said owner Scott Savage who accepted the award.
• Learning in the Workplace Awarded –Lube Experts, accepted by Greg Walstrom.
• Customer Service Award – Artemis Computers.
“I am very proud to be part of this community – proud of our business and proud of our customers,” said owner Darrin Bosomworth.
Honourable mention – Savage Value Drug Mart, WISH Kitchen & Gift, Smitty’s Family Restaurant, United Tank Inspections.
• Marketing Award – Wells Furniture.
“It not hard to put a little creativity in the business,” said owner Bernie Jackson.
“We’ll get better.”
Honourable mention – Wares Jewelers.
• Business Service Award – Stettler Veterinary Clinic, accepted by Dr. Barb Munholland.
• Business Community Service Award – Stettler Dodge and RV.
“Without my family and my staff, the business wouldn’t exist,” said owner and manager Kelly Hicks.
“I strongly believe the strength of the community is not only in people, but in what businesses do.”
Honourable mention – Aspen Ford Sales.
• Community Service Award –Heartland Youth Centre.
“We are very grateful for all the support from the community,” said executive director Winnie Bissett.
“We hope to continue to develop youth leadership and service to the community.”
Guest speaker in favour of sports and recreation
Well-known professional hockey executive Patrick LaForge promoted community support and building lives as guest speaker on Stettler Business and Citizenship Awards night on Oct. 22.
“Everyone should have opportunity to participate in community,” said LaForge, president and chief executive officer of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League since July 2000.
“We all need something to cheer for,” said the man who was selected as one of the Top 50 Most influential Persons in Alberta by Venture Magazine.
LaForge was also the recipient of the Consumer Choice Award as Edmonton Business Person of the Year in 2008.
“Sports and recreation is a vital pillar of strong, healthy communities,” LaForge told over 200 people who attended the annual event hosted by Stettler Regional Board of Trade and Community Development.
“It’s not about business, it’s about people,” said LaForge who has over 25 years of experience with leading sports and entertainment organizations in professional and junior hockey, alpine ski racing, auto racing, horse racing and professional rodeo.
“Of all the values we, Albertans, present to our children, family, friends, business associates and neighbours, what remain the same is that we see ourselves as contributors, we see ourselves as continuing to build and nurture our communities and we not only want to be counted – we want to be counted upon.”
“A healthy active involved community is also good for business,” he said.
“All of the research on what makes a community good or great indicates that people want to be safe, they want convenient transportation, that want an above-average education system and they want to do things like sports, leisure activities and entertainment.’
“I suggest that you and I both advocate strongly for the value of healthy bodies, and active population with healthy minds who have decent or better recreation facilities,” said LaForge.
He further stated that by investing in more recreation and entertainment opportunities, people of all ages grow more healthy and the need for health care services decreases along with costs.