On Saturday, November 16, the owners and operators of Ritchot’s many businesses gathered at the annual Ritchot Chamber of Commerce 2019 Business Awards and Event Gala at the TC Energy Centre in Île-des-Chênes. More than 35 local businesses were represented at the gala, with more than one-third of them being sponsors of the evening itself.
The evening was emceed by Derek Roth, owner of Adventure Power Products, and Ritchot Mayor Chris Ewen. The pair took part in a number of shenanigans, including Ewen’s playful introduction with theme music and a chef’s hat, and Roth’s bragging about the prizes he’d won at the previous year’s gala.
The two local men weren’t the only comedic presences in the room. For entertainment, the Chamber of Commerce welcomed two Manitoban comedians, Dean Sabo and Dan Vercille, to round out the night.
After dinner, the winners of the 2019 Business Awards were announced. This year, there were four categories: Entrepreneur of the Year, Corporate Volunteerism, Business of the Year, and Honorary Lifetime Member.
“Tonight is about honouring our local businesses and their success and growth as part of our community,” said Ewen.
The Business of the Year award went to Cobblestone Homes, a business that focuses on communicating with their customers to build high-quality homes while remaining cost-effective.
Next up was the award for Entrepreneur of the Year, which was presented to Maxx Pro Builders. Maxx Pro Builders specializes in wood framing in central Canada and is located in Île-des-Chênes.
The winner of the Corporate Volunteerism award went to the Île-des-Chênes-based Titan Environmental Containment, as a recognition of their community work. One of their volunteer programs which helped nab them the award was their recent clean-up initiative along Highway 59, for the stretch of road between Grande Pointe and Île-des-Chênes.
This year’s Honorary Lifetime Member award was given to Roger Perron, who has been responsible for spearheading many local projects, including the renaming of the TC Energy Centre this fall.
Recently, the Ritchot Chamber expanded to include businesses in other nearby towns and municipalities, in a move that will allow more small businesses in the region to benefit from each other’s services.
“We’ve made a commitment to [expand our region] and include the RM of Tache and the RM of Ste. Anne, and the town of Ste. Anne in a new, larger Chamber,” said Marc Palud, Chamber President.
The Chamber also announced the scheduled unveiling of their new website this upcoming December, which will feature a full listing of Chamber members and their services across the region. Through this effort, the Chamber hopes to do a better job of connecting local residents with businesses in the area.
The gala itself was organized by a team of 10 people who have been planning the annual shindig for the past year.
“It’s a group effort,” says Yvette Bernat, Facilities Manager at TC Energy Centre. “We all have our part in doing something to make this event a success… We have the one committee that takes care of all the big stuff, and little groups to take care of the rest.”
