Pontiac Chamber celebrates business excellence

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W.A. Hodgins Home Hardware was the recipient of the Chamber‘s Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured is Mick Hodgins accepting the award from Stéphane Labine and Rhonda Perry, SADC Pontiac Director General.

Lynne Lavery



W.A. Hodgins Home Hardware was the recipient of the Chamber‘s Lifetime Achievement Award. Pictured is Mick Hodgins accepting the award from Stéphane Labine and Rhonda Perry, SADC Pontiac Director General.

Lynne Lavery

FORT-COULONGE – The Pontiac Chamber of Commerce hosted its fourth annual Business Achievement Awards Gala at the Pontiac Conference Centre, October 23. Over 130 local business entrepreneurs and representatives from local and regional organizations were present for the meal and awards ceremony; nine categories of awards were given.
The award process began with a nomination by an individual for
their preferred business;
nominees were then sent an application form, with questions specific for each category.  SADC Pontiac’s Amy Taylor assisted the Organizing Committee and helped with the
application forms and establishing criteria for each category. On October 1st, nominations were reviewed by a panel of judges representing the Pontiac community:  Louise Grenier, Emploi-Quebec Outaouais; Benjamin Hiard, MRC Pontiac; Sylvie Bertrand, Chamber board member; Lynda Wegner, Chamber board member; and Laurel LeBrun, Chamber Project Coordinator.
The selection of the Lifetime Achievement Award was chosen by the Chamber board from the nominations received in that category.  Special care was taken during the
selection process to avoid any perception of conflict of interest. There were a total of 167 nominations in all the categories.
According to Mireille Alary, Chamber President, “Every nomination was well deserved.  It was a good evening, a good event. Ceremonies and recognitions, like this, give exposure and encouragement to our business
people.” The 2014 winner of the Young Entrepreneur award, Dr. Isabelle Gagnon, helped present this year’s award for New Business; she stated, “It takes courage to start a business. We need to learn about and support our local businesses, and this an excellent way to do that.”
The winners of the
2015 Pontiac Chamber
of Commerce Business Achievement Awards were:

2015 Feature Award – Heritage Trade:  Logs End Inc.
Business Beautification:  Spruceholme Inn
Farm Enterprise:  RM Lang Farms
New Business: Clinique médicale Le Lotus
Lifetime Achievement:  W.A Hodgins Home Hardware
Self-Employed Business Person:  Scott Crawford – Purerock Landscaping
Social Media:  Cindy Lottes Photography
Tourism:  a tie between:  Bryson Lake Lodge and Parc des Chutes Coulonge
Young Entrepreneur:  Danny Lalonde – Lalonde’s Towing and Storage.