Whistler’s business community shone bright at the 2024 Whistler Excellence Awards, presented by BlueShore Financial.
Held at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on Oct. 17, the Chamber event saw movers and shakers in Whistler’s business community gather under one roof to mix, mingle, dine and delight in the success of nine local businesses.
When it was all said and done, Carol Leacy of the Whistler 360 Health Collaborative Society took home the night's top honour of Citizen of the Year over fellow nominees Charalyn Kriz and Ashlie Girvan.
Jackie Dickinson from the Whistler Community Services Society (WCSS) accepted the award on Leacy’s behalf, who could not attend.
“She considers herself, Carol, very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with this incredible team, and she feels even luckier now that she gets to see it in action," Dickinson said. "Seeing more people in the community with access to primary care has made it 100 times more worth it, and she would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce and Race and Co. for this honour."
The evening began with a welcome from the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre ambassadors with singing and drumming. They invited the crowd to join in a traditional Squamish song, splitting the ballroom into two animal groups found within Squamish and Lil’wat territory. Wolves howled on the right and whales splashed on the left, to the delight of many in attendance.
Emcees for the evening, Rebecca Mason and Ira Pettle from Laugh Out Live!, kept the energy up during award presentations, rowing onto the stage in an inflatable boat before starting the show. Nominee videos preceded each announcement, with cheers emanating from the crowd as their favourite nominees took over the big screen and the clink of cutlery on plates permeated speeches.
Award winners came to the stage in bright neon colours accenting their attire or dressed head to toe in bright garb, in honour of the theme “Neon Nights: Illuminating Whistler’s Excellence.”
Those vying for Rising Star of the Year included Samantha Knox from Nita Lake Lodge, Lisa Coulter from the Whistler Community Services Society, and Nicki Mckeon with Wild Yoga Collective|Wild Vedas. The Rising Star award is bestowed upon a person “making an impact beyond their years.” Coulter, director of social services and outreach manager for WCSS, took home the award.
“I'm excited to continue working alongside you to create more opportunities to break down barriers for reaching out for support, because everyone deserves that,” Coulter said during her speech.
The Service Excellence: Small Business award saw Pasta Lupino, A Little Bud and Alpine Café up for “industry-leading service delivery” and their impact on guest experience. Alpine Café won.
Caramba, meanwhile, took the award for Service Excellence: Large Business, up against the Sundial Hotel and Forecast Coffee.
Nominees for Innovative Business of the Year included Innovation Building Group, Be Beauty Laser & Esthetics and Blackcomb Façade Technology (Blackcomb Glass). The award went to Blackcomb Glass.
The Emerging Business of the Year category saw Alto Marketing and Management, Barbex Cleaning and Filthy Jordan’s Weekly Waste Removal vie for the top spot, with Barbex Cleaning taking home the award.
Sustainability in Action Business was presented to a Whistler business which “has demonstrated considerable positive impact in advancing sustainability in their business, sector and the local community.” The Naked Sprout Café, Sea to Sky Sourdough BReD Inc. and the WCSS' Re-Build-It and Re-Use-It Centres were all up for the award, with the Re-Build-It and Re-Use-It Centres winning.
The Champion of Arts & Culture – Business category, presented by Arts Whistler, saw the Whistler Museum & Archives Society, Laugh Out Live and the Point Artist-Run Centre nominated. The award “recognizes individuals, organizations, artists, and local businesses who have contributed significantly to the development of arts and culture in Whistler. The Point took home the award.
Business Person of the Year, presented by BDO, was awarded to the person who makes a “major impact” on the local business community. Roger Soane of Whistler Sport Legacies took home the award, and he was up against Doug MacFarlane of Whistler Blackcomb and Senka Florist–Kaoru & Hidemi Ono. Soane won, but gave a nod to MacFarlane for all of his work within the community in his acceptance speech.
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