Business Award finalists honoured to be recognized

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It’s a night to honour the best in the biz.

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Finalists are a buzz ahead of this Friday’s 46th annual Sherwood Park and District Chamber of Commerce Business Awards.

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Making the shortlist for the most sought-after award of the night for Business of the Year are Bluetrain Inc., Dreamcatcher Nature Assisted Therapy, Imperial Oil Ltd., and the Italian Centre Shop Ltd.

Being named a finalist brought a lot of pride for Bluetrain.

The company is a digital marketing agency, one that is committed to harnessing data-driven insights to drive continuous improvements in their clients’ online presence. Since January 2007, Bluetrain has evolved into a team of professionals spread across Alberta, British Columbia, and Europe. It has managed digital marketing strategies and campaigns for renowned Canadian corporate and non-profit brands, including Canadian Western Bank (CWB), EPCOR, Strathcona County, Edmonton Global, Canadian Brewhouse, the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation, UNICEF Canada, and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

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“Half of our management team live in Sherwood Park, we have multiple staff living here, we’ve got kids growing up here, we’ve had our office here since 2012, and myself and business partner, Matt Brown, both grew up in Sherwood Park. So to say the least, it’s a major honour to be recognized by our hometown as we take great pride in representing Sherwood Park and Strathcona County on regional, national and international stages,” said  Bluetrain Inc.’s Bryan Smith.

Lead therapist and founder of Dreamcatcher Nature Assisted Therapy, Eileen Bona was also humbled and flattered to be a finalist. Starting as a psychology practice 20 years ago, the ranch has provided homes for animals who are homeless or are hurting and have partnered them with people in need. Over time, it has developed an academy to train professional to work with animals in their practices and that has reached as far as the Netherland and Japan. In addition, they have partnered with colleges across Canada to offer a certification program and have been asked to write the first Canadian textbook in animal assisted therapy.

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Protecting one’s mental health has become crucial in recent years.

“The world is currently unstable and people are resonating with the horrifying events we have been facing. Covid was extremely difficult for people and it caused many issues for many people due to a variety of factors. People in Alberta are more focused on their wellness overall and are striving to thrive rather than just survive,” Bona said. “In particular, here at Dreamcatcher, we are seeing an increase in people attending our program of all ages and from all walks of life.”

New Entrepreneur Award finalists

Finalists for the New Entrepreneur Award include Canine Addiction, Champion Contracting Services, Starvin Marvin’s Ltd., and the Statement Junkie Yarn Co.

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Canine Addiction is a force free dog daycare and training facility. Other than one-on-one private sessions, they offer a variety of obedience group training classes for puppies and dogs of all ages as well as sport classes, such as scent, rally, and agility. 

Sarah McLeod said she never planned to be an entrepreneur but she started the business after being laid off from both of her jobs during the pandemic. She knew there was a service gap locally as there were no dog training facilities within the Park.

“To get it off the ground, I had a lot of support from family and friends, took out a loan from the bank, remodelled the building, and learned how to do web design and marketing. To get it going in the first four months, I worked alone from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. as a daycare attendant, administrator,  trainer, and cleaner. After four months, I hired my first two staff members who each worked one day a week, then all week, and we continue to grow,” McLeod recapped. 

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“Being nominated for this award showcases all of the hard work, dedication, and sacrifice to get to this point in the journey. It is a testament to our personal struggles, doubt, and frustrations that ultimately lead to the definition of success, specifically for those entrepreneurs like myself, with no formal business training, who opened a business in the heat of Covid, to now be celebrating our third year of business,” she added.

Community Attraction finalists

Seen as leaders in hosting local events and bringing the community together, in the Community Attraction category finalists include MB Events (organizer of L’Étape Canada by Tour de France), Music Society of Strathcona County (organizer of the RavenWood Music Festival and the RavenWood Music Club), Optima Living (a local retirement community), and SurvivorFest Running Event (which is an event that welcomes runners from all over Canada and beyond to run upwards of 24 hours straight). 

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Bill Roberts, president of the Music Society of Strathcona, said being named a finalist signifies that the group’s work is being noticed in the community and that’s a feat that they are thankful for. He added the group is honoured to be in such great company among the other event organizers.

“I was excited as was our board,” Roberts said. “We are a 100 per cent volunteer run organization. Strathcona County has a vibrant arts and culture community and we want music to continue to be a big part of that. Our events are also bringing the community together, building partnerships with local businesses and organizations, and helping to promote organization and local businesses. While there are many great music events that happen outside of Strathcona County, we want people within the county to be able to come out and enjoy live music without having to leave our community.”

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Survivorfest founder and race organizer Laura Townsend was also surprised and grateful for the nod, noting the event began in 2019 and has continue to grow despite pressures from the pandemic or limited budgets. All of the event’s profits go to the Saffron Sexual Assault Centre to help educate youth against sexual violence.

“It’s incredible. It’s a huge privilege as we have worked tremendously hard as a volunteer-led organization to collaborate with Saffron Centre, other community resources and businesses to make this a world-class event,” Townsend said. “This recognition is a huge win for everyone involved and highlights once again how amazing Strathcona County is work, play, and live in.”

Health and Wellness, new award category added

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Four finalists comprise the Leading Edge Award category; Fix Auto, the Italian Centre Shop Ltd., Mud, Sweat, and Gears, and Sweet G’s Cakes and Treats.

Health and Wellness Award finalists include Fix Auto, Imperial Oil Ltd. and Pasta Pantry. That award is a new addition to this year’s event.

For Fix Auto, its most valuable asset is its people, and so it focuses on the wellness of its employees and their families by offering comprehensive benefits, health spending accounts, family assistance programs and many more perks. In addition, the company underlines the importance of work/life balance, offers paid flex days and volunteer days, hosts various parties and celebrations throughout the year, and highlights an employee weekly who is ‘crushing it’.

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“It is incredibly humbling to be recognized for our passion and dedication to our employees and growth within the Strathcona county community. We truly love what we do and the community we serve and are excited to continue to improve and grow. Knowing we have the support of our peers around us makes us even stronger, and excites us for the future of Fix Auto Sherwood Park,” said Fix Auto Sherwood Park’s owner Craig Koughan.

Local businesses thriving on global stage

Rounding out the Global Growth finalists are Apache Pipeline Products, Codiak Acres, and Global Humic Products Ltd.

Global Humic Products was formed in 2021 with eight individuals who have been working with oxidized coal (humic acid, which is considered an organic fertilizer supplement) since 1998 proving the benefits of this product as a soil supplement in agriculture, drilling fluid additive, animal and human health. For the past 25 years, it has taken humic acid from snake oil and with science have proven its value in rejuvenating soil which has been damaged by the use of over fertilization. 

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Currently, the local business is exporting to 91 clients across eight countries.

Over the past 25 years, the growth of the product has grown to a multi-million-dollar industry and it is projected to a be a billion dollar industry within the next five years.

“Being recognized as a industry that is adding a benefit to the health of our planet and to humans is rewarding as it shows that the 25 years have not been wasted and the people that have put science into a product that is not a chemical but a raw material from the ground makes it all worth while,” said Global Humic Products Ltd. president Merv Fischer. “We have just been awarded a very large contract that will double our plant capacity for the next year and will result in additional employment.”

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The Resiliency Award, which was introduced during the pandemic, has been discontinued.

The Business Awards will be held on Friday, Nov. 17 at Festival Place (100 Festival Way). The event will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a reception and dinner. The awards ceremony will run between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., and the evening will conclude with dessert and networking until 10 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now for the awards ceremony and are $75 each (plus GST) for general admission. Finalists are entitled to two discounted tickets for $40 each.

For more information, go to sherwoodparkchamber.com.

lmorey@postmedia.com

X: LindsayDMorey

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