Chamber dinner celebrates the best of local business

The Chamber of Commerce celebrated the best of Revelstoke’s nearly 1,000 businesses on Saturday evening crowing the Modern Bakeshop & Cafe as the Business of the Year, Malcolm Bott of Universal Footwear as the Business Person of Year and Maryanne Krestinsky as the Employee of the Year. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce

By David F. Rooney

The Chamber of Commerce celebrated the best of Revelstoke’s nearly 1,000 businesses on Saturday evening crowing the Modern Bakeshop & Cafe as the Business of the Year, Malcolm Bott of Universal Footwear as the Business Person of Year and Maryanne Krestinsky as the Employee of the Year.

The Chamber’s annual Business Excellence Awards were a nearly sold-out affair at the Community Centre. Catered by La Baguette, celebrants dined on prawns, roast beef, roast pork, scalloped potatoes and a variety of salads. They polished all of that off with a selection of exquisite desserts including cheesecake, brownies, carrot cake and a gelato bar. The wet bar, meanwhile, was managed by the Rotary Club.

During a few brief remarks, Mayor David Raven noted that the City has issued over 900 business licences, which attests to the growing health of the local economy.

After dinner, Chamber members and their guests including new BC Liberal party candidate Doug Clovechok and Michael Eibl of the Business Development Bank, eagerly waited to learn who would win this year’s crop of Business Excellence Awards. The 2012 award winners were:

Employee of the Year — Maryanne Krestinsky of Home Hardware;
Tourism Attractions Excellence — Revelstoke Railway Museum:
Food Service Excellence —  La Baguette;
Accommodations Excellence — Best Western Plus;
Omdustrial and Manufacturing Excellence — Battersby Plumbing and Gas Fitting;
Retail Excellence — Revelstoke Equipment Rentals;
Youth Employer — McDonald’s;
Entrepreneurial Excellence — BA Sausage;
Home-based Business Excellence — Stoke FM;
Community Support Excellence — Pharmasave;
Business of the Year — The Modern Bakeshop & Cafe;
Business Person of the Year — Malcolm Bott of Universal Footwear

Here are some photos from the evening event that we hope you’ll enjoy:

The decor by Summit Decor, formerly Wedgewood Weddings, was outstanding. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Josie Kimmel of the Revelstoke Railway Museum accepts the Tourism and Attractions Award from Mayor David Raven. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Battersby’s Plumbing and Gas Fitting won the Industrial and Manufacturing Excellence Award. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Brett Renaud receives the Retail Excellence Award from Pharmsave’s Steven Hui. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
McDonald’s, represented here by owners Kevin and Kathy Blakely and members of their crew, won the new-this-year Youth Employer Award sponsored by BC Hydro. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Barry Asmundsen of BA Sausage (left)  receives the Entrepreneurial Excellence Award from Rand Driediger of the Revelstoke Credit Union. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Scott Duke of Stoke FM was happy to receive the Best Home-Based Business Award from Social Development Coordinator Jill Zacharias. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Community Futures Development Corporation.
Lynda Lafleur of the Columbia Basin Trust presents Pharmasave’s Steven Hui with the Excellence in Community Support Award. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
The Best Western Plus’ Chelsea Lamont received the Accommodations Excellence Award from Peter Neilsen of the Sutton Place.Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Ban Harrack of Coopers presented the Food Service Excellence Award to Sonia Ratte and Olivier Dutil St-Pierre of Le Baguette.Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Josee Zimanyi and some of the girls from the Modern Bakeshop & Cafe were happy to pose with Michael Eibl of the Business Development Bank when he presented them with the Business of the Year award. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Malcolm Bott of Universal Footwear was presented with the Business person of the Year Award by Megan Shandro of Okanagan College. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Dimpy Sanghara, Robert Devlin, Paramjit Sanghara and Jagjit Sanghera enjoyed themselves at the dinner. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Jason and Lindsay Roe of Black Tie Properties posing for the camera. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
The crowd gave a standing ovation for Le Baguette when its was awarded the Food Service Excellence Award. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Chamber Executive Director Judy Goodman looks like she’s having a good time with Brett Renaud and Peter Bernacki. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Kyle Jones, Marie-Eve Bruchig and Thomas Bruchig had a lot of fun at the party. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Scott Duke, Brittanya Beddington of Dynamic Massage Works, Joey
Norsworthy and Trevor English pose for the camera. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce
Current publisher David Rooney shakes hands with Susan Clovechok, whose husband doug (center) is the BC Liberal Party candidate in next year’s provincial election. Keri Knapp photo courtesy of the Revelstoke Chamber of Commerce