Nova Awards highlight resilient, inspiring Timmins businesses
It's not necessarily a joyous time for businesses in Timmins — which is precisely why the Timmins Chamber felt it important to hold its 19th annual Nova Awards.
A virtual event this year, the chamber's president, Melanie Verreault, said businesses deserve positive recognition for both their resilience and successes despite this difficult situation.
"It just made us realize that our businesses need that support and celebration," said Verreault. "It is giving them and our business community a reminder of the many ways that our businesses work together."
The independently-judged awards included:
- Business of the Year (1-5 employees)
Winner: Porcupine Advance Printers
- Business of the Year (6-10 employees)
Winner: The Urban Farm
- Business of the Year (1-10 employees)
Winner: J&B Cycle and Marine
- Lifetime Business Achievement
Winner: Wyatt Image Solutions
- New Business Award
Winner: All About You Medical Spa
- Best Place to Work
Winner: Bright Spot Therapy Services
Full Beard Brewing took home the "Business Contribution to the Community" award for operations with 6 to 10 employees.
Co-owner Benjie Potvin said just like there are many hairs in a beard, there are many businesses making an effort to support the community and that it's an inspiration for his brewery as well.
"We're born and bred in this town, we grew up in this town, we want to see our families stay in this town," Potvin said.
"The more we do as Full Beard, the more we're encouraged and encourage people to do also."
The Bucket Shop accepted an award for successes with Indigenous partnerships.
The company's market development manager, Jamie Pouw, said as a mining supplier for companies that often have impact-benefit agreements with First Nations communities in which they operate, it is important to build solid relationships.
"We're honoured that we're acknowledged and recognized for the work we've done," Pouw said.
"We spent the last two years, in particular, building a dedicated Aboriginal women's training program, which has really helped strengthen our partnerships with the First Nations groups."
As well, local restaurant Radical Gardens received an award for innovation, which owner Brianna Humphrey said in her acceptance speech has been especially true while she pivoted her business during the pandemic.
"For the past seven to eight years, we have done nothing but push innovation," Humphrey said.
The "President's Award" saw Verreault personally choose a business worthy of special recognition.
Her pick: Newmont Porcupine. She said the company has been a major source of support for local businesses, especially during the pandemic. The most recent joint project with the chamber was the "Business Continuity Fund."
Verreault said she hopes to keep the positive energy from the award event going, including by hosting a talk with the Porcupine Health Unit looking ahead to a regional reopening plan — which she knows businesses have been anxious about.
"It just makes me appreciate how resilient our businesses are, despite the circumstances we find ourselves in," Verreault said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.