On April 14, the Niverville Chamber of Commerce hosted an upscale celebration at Whitetail Meadow. Approximately 120 guests enjoyed an evening of reflection on Niverville’s vibrant, diverse, and ever-expanding business community.
Emcee for the night was Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president Chuck Davidson. Davidson led a fireside chat with three local panellists to get a personal look at what it means to grab hold of opportunities for expansion in this rapidly growing town.
The panellists included Candace Alarie of SOAK Bath Co., John Schmitke of Your Grocery People, and Paul Neufeld of Southern Comfort Mechanical Inc.
The formalities concluded with the much-anticipated annual business award presentations.
This year’s winner of the New Business Award was Talk to the Tail. The Outstanding Customer Service Award went to Guardian, Niverville Pharmacy. Niverville’s Tim Horton’s was pleased to accept the Alex Fast Sr. Memorial Award. Finally, Wm. Dyck & Sons took the award for Business of the Year.
Niverville Chamber president Amanda Wiens was honoured with a bouquet and special tribute for her five years of exceptional dedication to the betterment of the local business community.
Wiens is stepping down from her position. Nominated for Chamber presidency is Elvin Krahn, acting Chamber vice-president, Niverville resident, and rural markets manager for the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC).
“It’s been an incredible opportunity to work with such a brilliant group of business leaders on this board,” Wiens says. “I joined the [Chamber] in hopes of being able to serve our community, which I hope I did, but I didn’t anticipate how much I would get out of it as well.”
Wiens says that the decision to step down from the Chamber wasn’t an easy one. However, with two young boys and a growing family business, her focus needs to shift for a time.
Krahn, too, has served as a member of the local Chamber for the past five years. His role with the BDC has set him up well for the Chamber presidency since his company’s mandate is to provide financial and advisory support to Canadian entrepreneurs.
“The community of Niverville is very special to me, and my passion for this community is strong,” Krahn says. “Business development is at the heart of what I love, and what excites me in my career. Being able to work with Entrepreneurs on projects that see them going from dreamers to doers is an amazing journey to be a part of.”