SUMMERSIDE – The Island community has responded well to the Acadian and Francophone Chamber of Commerce of P.E.I. call for nominations for the five entrepreneurial awards.
The awards will be handed out during the 2013 Entrepreneurs Gala March 16 at the Centre Belle-Alliance in Summerside.
“When we launched the contest last October, we had challenged the community to nominate at least 20 deserving businesses and entrepreneurs to beat the record of 14 nominations received last year,” explained chamber spokesman Jeannette Arsenault. “We are extremely proud to confirm that we have in fact surpassed this lofty goal since we have received 21 nominations.”
She notes, however, that two of the nominations were for the same finalist in the same category and that some people and businesses have been nominated in several categories. So, the total number of finalists is 18.
“The selection committee was extremely impressed by the great quality of the nominees, which proves again this year that we have Acadian and francophone entrepreneurs from one end of the Island to the other who do exceptional work and who provide very high levels of service,” said Arsenault. “We’d like to be able to give trophies to all the finalists since they all deserve to be recognized by their community. Regrettable, we had to whittle down our choices to five incredibly deserving winners.”
This year’s nominees work in a wide range of sectors – from construction, fish sales and power saws to handcrafts, visual arts, performing arts and tourism, along with hair styling and personal, spiritual, cultural and community development.
“We really hope that all the employees, families and friends of all the people and businesses nominated will be able to attend our gala to help us celebrate their many accomplishments,” added Arsenault. “All of our finalists contribute tremendously to their community and to the economy of our province, whether it be by the creation of jobs, the delivery of high quality products and services or the contribution of time or money to various causes aimed at helping our communities evolve.”
Tickets for the gala, which will soon go on sale, will be $25 plus GST for CCAFLIPE members and $30 plus GST for non-members. The evening will include a reception, a three-course banquet and the awards ceremony.
And the nominees are…
The prize categories and 2013 finalists for this 12th edition of the Gala are:
2013 Enterprising Youth Award:
· Ginette Arsenault (Mont-Carmel)
· Katelyn Gill (Charlottetown)
· Rowen Gallant (Rustico)
2013 Co-op of the Year:
· Abram’s Village Handcraft Co-op
· Coopérative Le Village des Sources l’Étoile Filante (Cap-Egmont)
· Coopérative de développement culturel et patrimonial de Mont-Carmel
2013 Business Woman of the Year:
· Béatrice Caillié (Executive director of the Centre Belle-Alliance in Summerside)
· Norma Gallant (owner of Fancy Cut hairstyling boutique in Wellington)
· Réjeanne Arsenault (owner of The Bottle Houses in Cape Egmont)
· Lisa Buote (owner of Blue Heron Enterprises/Blue Heron Construction in Rustico)
2013 Distinguished Entrepreneur of the Year:
· Lennie Gallant (Singer/songwriter from Rustico and Halifax)
· Simon Arsenault (former owner of Northumberland Construction and Comet Construction of Abram-Village)
· Réjeanne Arsenault (owner of The Bottle Houses in Cape Egmont)
· Lise Buote (owner of Blue Heron Enterprises/Blue Heron Construction in Rustico)
· Johnny Gallant (owner of M & J Professional Saws in St. Timothy)
2013 President’s Award of Excellence:
· Rhéal’s Renovations and Repairs, Mont-Carmel (Rhéal Arsenault)
· M & J Professional Saws, St. Timothy (Johnny Gallant)
· Créactif enr., Abram-Village (Lucie Bernadette Bellemare)
· The Bottle Houses, Cape Egmont (Réjeanne Arsenault)
· Arsenault’s Fish Mart, Summerside and Maximeville (Robert Arsenault)
