This past weekend, a collection of the region's best business minds packed into the Centennial Centre's field house for an evening of celebration and appreciation as the Bonnyville and District Chamber of Commerce and the Cold Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce displayed some regional cooperation in putting on the first-ever Lakeland Business of the Year Awards.
For the past two years, Bonnyville has been showing its love for its local entrepreneurs by way of an annual awards ceremony and this year they invited the City of Cold Lake and its many businesses along for the ride in what turned out to be a hugely successful evening.
In total, nine businesses were honoured across categories that recognized exemplary customer service, community involvement and those businesses, both small and large, considered to be the “Most Outstanding” in their respective communities.
To some, the awards ceremony may come across as a cheap ploy to try and promote business in the Lakeland, but that certainly wasn't the case this weekend. This year's event, while recognizing those that truly deserve to be recognized, also served a purpose as a networking event of sorts, with businesses having the opportunity to collaborate with one another later in the evening.
The local business sector is the lifeblood of the local community and there is certainly value in recognizing those that go above and beyond on a daily basis to make life easier for the rest of us in the Lakeland.
Living amongst what is being described as a “chronic labour shortage” by almost everybody operating in the service industry in both Bonnyville and Cold Lake, it is commendable that these overworked owners and employees are still able to provide their many customers with a quality standard of service.
While only nine walked away with awards, 42 businesses in all were nominated across the two neighbouring communities, while several others passed up the opportunity to be included in the vote.
We're lucky to have such a strong and dependable business community here in the Lakeland and hosting and taking part in the annual awards ceremony is the perfect opportunity for us local residents to say a big thank you for a job well done.
