special features - small business month 2014

with Fernie Community & Business Excellence AwardsMONTH

Celebrating

BUSINESS

C2 THE FREE PRESS Thursday, October 16, 2014 Celebrate Small Business with Fernie Community & Business Excellence Awards 2014

It’s that time of year again, time to recognize and honour those individuals, businesses and organizations in our community that make a difference, and truly make Fernie a better place to be, for

both locals and visitors alike. Many cities, towns, and districts host annual community awards to recognize their special citizens and businesses, Fernie is no different.

This year we have a couple new awards we’re excited about! The Employee of the Year Award- sponsored by EK Employment, is designed to celebrate an outstanding employee at a local Fernie business. Open to any individual employee from any business in Fernie or the surrounding area. The other new award this year, the Retail Excellence Award- is sponsored by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce, and recognizes a storefront retail business that has demonstrated outstanding achievement and growth in the Fernie retail sector.

Please read on to learn more about each award category, the top three nominees for each award, details of the awards gala evening, the events sponsors and more. We hope you will join us in celebrating our community on October 23rd!

On behalf of the Fernie Chamber of Commerce staff and board of directors, we welcome you to the 2014 Fernie Community & Business Excellence Awards!

Welcometo the

2014 Fernie Community& Business exCellenCe AwArds

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Celebrate Small Business with Fernie Community & Business Excellence Awards 2014 THE FREE PRESS Thursday, October 16, 2014 C3

Awards Dinner2014 Fernie Community & Business exCellenCe

Thursday, October 23, 20145:30 - 10:00 pm

The Clubhouse RestaurantFernie Golf & Country Club

Guest Speaker: Riaz Meghji

Seating is limited, reserve your spot today by calling the Fernie Chamber of Commerce at 250-423-6868 or emailing [email protected]

Come out and celebrate your community!

$60 per person includes champagne recption, a 5-course meal and entertainment.

BIO - Riaz MeghjiCo-Host of Breakfast Television Vancouver

As Co-Host of Breakfast Television Vancouver, Riaz Meghji wakes up the city every morning with humour and style. On the show and in his life, he has learned that a candid conversation can carry a profound effect—the inspiration behind his talks and his mantra, Every Conversation Counts. Dubbed a “charm machine” by the National Post, he is also an excellent and highly sought-after Master of Ceremonies.

Riaz Meghji is the Co-Host of Breakfast Television Vancouver, covering topics in current affairs, philanthropy, entertainment, sports, and business. Before landing at BT, Meghji was a host with MTV Canada, CTV News, Bell Media, and the Toronto International Film Festival. He has spoken at TEDxSFU and hosted TEDxVancouver. Meghji is the co-founder of nonprofit 1Karma, which has supported Covenant House and the Canadian Cancer Society by fundraising and raising awareness. Raised in Delta, British Columbia, Meghji earned his BBA in Finance and HR from Simon Fraser University.


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CITIZENOF THE YEAR - Sponsored by the City of Fernie

*Gale Adams

*Kathryn Robinson

*Tanya Malcolm

ENTREPRENEUROF THE YEAR - Sponsored by Community Futures East Kootenay

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD - Sponsored by EK Employment Elk Valley

OUTSTANDINGCUSTOMER SERVICE - Sponsored by Fernie Alpine Resort

FERNIE BUSINESSOF THE YEAR - Sponsored by GPI Chartered Accountants

Any individual who lives or volunteers in the community; who continually gives back to their community; who helps make Fernie a great place to live, and has demonstrated leadership abilities. Nominee must have resided in Fernie for at least two years.

Any individual from business or industry who works in the City of Fernie and surrounding area who has demonstrated good business standards and ethics, holds a strong belief in entrepreneurship, has shown innovation & leadership, and active community involvement.

This award is designed to celebrate an outstanding employee at a local Fernie business. Open to any individual employee from any business or industry in the City of Fernie or surrounding area. This person has demonstrated outstanding dedication to their job, professional achievement, leadership, pride, and overall excellence in their position. Remember you are nominating an individual employee, not a business.

This award recognizes and promotes customer service excellence among local business.Open to any business or industry located in the City of Fernie and surrounding area that has demonstrated a strong dedication to customer satisfaction, customer service or development of an outstanding product, and consistently goes beyond standard customer service practices.

Open to any business or industry located in the City of Fernie or surrounding area that has demonstrated good corporate citizenship, good business standards and ethics, and contributes in a meaningful way to the community.

NEW BUSINESSOF THE YEAR - Sponsored by GPI Chartered Accountants

This award recognizes a new business that has begun operation within the last 2 years, and has made a noticeable impression on the Fernie business community, has demonstrated a strong commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Nominee must have been in business for 2 years or less.

*Le Grand Fromage

*Barkside Pets

*Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

*Nevados

*Lysh Hair Salon

*The Urban Settler

*Lance Edwards of Elevation Showcase

*Maren Esch of Barkside Pets

*Nick Nault Photography and Videography

*Jessica Hikida of Grow Children’s & Maternity

*Sonya Erzinger of Ghostrider Trading Co.

*Tanis Barkman of Yamagoya Sushi

*Vitality Body & Mind

*Gearhub


Top 3Nominees...in each catetory


Each October the Fernie Chamber of Commerce celebrates Small Business Month, and more specifically, Small Business Week (3rd full week in October) by hosting the Fernie Community & Business Excellence Awards!

These important annual awards recognize & honour those individuals, businesses, and organizations in our community that truly make a difference and make Fernie a better place to live, work and be, for locals and visitors alike.

This year the Awards Gala will be held on Thursday October 23rd, from 5:30pm at The Clubhouse Restaurant, located at The Fernie Golf & Country Club.

The Fernie Chamber of Commerce wishes all Fernie businesses a happy & prosperous Small Business Month! For details on Chamber membership please visit www.ferniechamber.com

Celebrate Small Business Month!

FernieOF COMMERCECHAMBER

COMMUNITY IMPACT AWARD - Sponsored by Finning Canada

COMMUNITY TOURISMACHIEVEMENT AWARD - Sponsored by Tourism Fernie

The award recognizes the accomplishments of those organizations in the not-for-profit sector which contribute to the economic, social and/or cultural well‐being of Fernie. The organization must have an established reputation for delivering a high level of programs and/or services as well as a track record of efficient and effective management.

This award recognizes a business, organization, or individual(s) that has notably contributed to the success of Fernie’s tourism industry within areas of marketing, industry development/growth, product development, market development/growth, innovation, entrepreneurship or strategic business growth.

*Ek Employment Centre

*Fernie Trails Alliance

*Fernie Women’s Centre

*Claris Media

*Canyon Raft Company

*Raging Elk Hostel

VOLUNTEER OF THEYEAR AWARD - Sponsored by The Free Press

This award recognizes the accomplishments of those volunteers which contribute to the well-being of Fernie. The person must have volunteered in at least two separate non-profit organizations and or events, and be a steward of volunteerism in Fernie.

*Cathy Smith Clark

*Marie Wilfong

*Chris Stockey

Top 3Nominees...in each catetoryRETAIL EXCELLENCE AWARD - Sponsored by the Fernie Chamber of Commerce

This award recognizes a retail business that has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the Fernie retail sector. The recipient has a storefront business and consistently satisfies the needs of Fernie residents and visitors alike. The recipient shows evidence of sustainable growth and success to levels that are outstanding for the size of their operations.

*Loaf Bakery

*Gearhub


Est. 1898

FernieOF COMMERCECHAMBER


From cooking classes and creative workshops to live music and Beautea nights,

Infinitea T-Bar & Boutique has it all.In fact, operator Stephanie Fleming said the uniqueness is what truly separates Infinitea from other venues.“In business, you fit into three different categories; the cheapest, the best or the only”, While of course always aiming for the best, “What Infinitea is really shooting for is the only.” said Fleming.Two and a half years ago, Flemings desire to create a unique space in Fernie pushed her to approach owner Coralee Salomons.The two ladies worked together with a lot of help from the community, officially opening the T-Bar & Boutique in November 2012. They turned the space, that was empty, water damaged and in need of a lot of work, into a place locals and visitors could call their second home. Many locals actually came out to help paint and clean after the ladies organised a working bee to get the community involved in the project.“People always say when they walk into Infinitea that it feels like you’re walking into your own living room. It’s a space outside of people’s homes that feels comfortable,” Fleming noted, adding that they wanted to create a space where people could spend time with one another.“We’ve lost that whole idea of visiting with people, especially in North America these days, drinking and catching up is so disposable and on the go.”Despite tea being the foundation and namesake of the small business,

Fleming said one of their main goals with Infinitea was to create a space where Fernie residents and visitors could explore and showcase their talents.

“I always say that Fernie has the most talented dishwashers in the world,” she joked. “In this town, it’s hard for people to balance the lifestyle with fulfilling what they love in a career capacity.”Infinitea gives those artists a chance to do just that, from singer/guitar players with little performing experience playing in front of a live audience, to locally formed Infinitea favourites like the Hark Raving Sirens and up and coming touring musicians like Buckman Coe and Sam Weber. “We’ve had some really amazing nights of music here where the artists and the audience have truly experienced a 'moment',” Fleming noted adding that their focus is creating a live music culture in Fernie

where music is a huge part of the Fernie lifestyle. It's not just planned performances that happen at Infinitea however, with a house guitar and drum and hopefully with the addition of a piano this winter, Infinitea is a place that people can come to practise or jam with one another whenever the moment strikes.In addition to showcasing musical talents at infinitea they also open the walls and display spaces to local artists and crafters who want to show

and sell their pieces. This is where the boutique aspect of Infinitea comes in, and you can find everything from handmade bamboo cotton clothing to leather cuffs, earrings and one of a kind art works.Infinitea, true to it's name, tries to have something for everyone with cooking classes held by local chefs and nutritionists once a month, Beautea nights with Trillium Day Spa and Mobile Massage twice a month, spoken word with local writers twice a month, weekly movie nights in the winter and their famous Sunday night roast dinners; Infinitea tries to cater to the entirety of Fernie’s population.

“You really have to have something for everybody to succeed in this kind of market because it’s a difficult one,” Fleming admits of the small town business market. “You can’t appeal to the same market all of the time.”Having said that, on any given

night you can expect to see teenagers, young adults, children and older Fernie residents all intermingling comfortably at Infinitea.“It’s really great to see different people coming together and enjoying the space,” noted Fleming. Unlike many live music venues, Infinitea hosts shows earlier in the night, typically around eight or nine, so that families with children and people who work early can enjoy live music too. Infinitea is a venue that continually seems to adapt to locals interests, opening the space to anyone who needs it, whether that be for crocheting and knitting clubs, book launches, kids sing along, live painting exhibitions or yoga and spiritual workshops. In line with their philosophy of catering to everyone and remaining unique, Infinitea has a full in-house made, healthy menu filled with plenty of options for vegans and people with gluten free requirements. With everything from sharing plate tapas and full entree plates and warming one pot stews, curry and chilly in the winter, Infinitea's kitchen is always open and has something just a little bit different to offer.Fleming and Salomons are looking forward to an exciting winter filled with creativity, socialisation and those 'moments' that truly make Infinitea what it is.The idea of Infinitea, that idea of the unlimited and the concept of indefinable boundaries is what truly makes Infinitea one of the most unique places you will ever encounter.

Welcome to Infinitea

Photo by S. Kucharski

Last year’s recipient of New Business of the Year Award

“In business, you fit into three different

categories; the cheapest, the best or the only... What Infinitea is really

shooting for is the only.”

Stephanie FlemingInfinitea T-Bar & Boutique

operator


“People always say when they walk into Infinitea that it feels

like you’re walking into your own living room. It’s a space outside of people’s homes that

feels comfortable”

Stephanie FlemingInfinitea T-Bar & Boutique

operator


Since entering the hospitality and restaurant industry in Fernie, Lillis Perreault and her husband Claude have had a lot on their plate. Looking to the future, the pair plans

to pinpoint their focus and make the Bridge Bistro and CP Catering all that it can be. They first began serving at the Hi3 Lodge in 1998, where they stayed for two winters. Two years later, the pair was given the opportunity to run The Grand Central hotel restaurant and bar. For a decade, the Perreault’s teamed up with a Swedish tour operator to offer all-inclusive packages to ski-happy Swedish tourists visiting the mountain town. “It worked perfectly and we sold full packages with accommodation, lift passes and food,” said Lillis Perreault. “It was really good and it worked extremely well in the wintertime.”But when summer rolled around, business turned into what Perreault described as a “disaster.” They would take summers off for the eight years they ran the Central to work at places in France. By 2008, they had had enough of being away from Fernie for a season and thus acquired the Corner Pocket at the Griz Inn and The Clubhouse at the Fernie Golf & Country Club. “We could transfer staff between the two locations and run the Corner Pocket during the winter and The Clubhouse during the summer,” Perreault said of the set up. For another six years, the Perreaults ran and leased both businesses and continued on with CP Catering. But they felt like they weren’t getting anything back. In 2011, they bought the Bridge Bistro located on Highway 3 and 4th Street. Now, they are set to make its kitchen their home, closing up shop at both the Corner Pocket and the golf course. “This is an investment. The other places were leases,” explained Perreault of the big decision to jump ship. “We put in a lot of money to do the Corner Pocket and the golf course. But they weren’t our buildings. So if I put money into them, I would never walk away with it. Here, with every penny we put in, we hope to

walk away with something too.” The Bistro will be shut down for two and a half months, allowing for renovations. Perreault hopes it will mean setting down the foundation for a place that she can really make her own after spending 14 years in rented restaurants. Now that the tables have turned, it’s finally time for the Bistro to become

exactly what she wants it to be. “We’re going to build a big bar, we’re going to gut the kitchen, build new washrooms. It’s going to be big changes,” assured Perreault. The change has left Perreault both excited and fearful for the future. “The golf course was really my place,” she reminisced, “I put everything I had 70-80 hour work weeks there for six summers. It’s hard to let it and the people I care about go,” she admitted. Having her energy and time diluted amongst three places was overwhelming, but now Perreault is looking to focus and create something great at the Bistro with her husband Claude and kitchen manager Fredrik Bergkvist. She added, “We’re looking forward to making the Bistro our new place. I want to do something [that I can] be proud of and to put all of our energy into one spot.”That, and continuing to build CP Catering as a service catered to serving large crowds. “It’s what gets me most excited and is the most fun,” said Perreault of the huge events CP Catering does, which includes annual Christmas parties and graduation dinners. “There’s so many people that you try to make happy and I think I get a good response,” she noted. Perreault hopes to expand CP Catering to include covering more events in Fernie. She said she feels that associating her food with some of the biggest moments in people’s lives, like the many weddings she has catered for, is what makes her career so rewarding. That and the feeling of being challenged on a day-to-day basis is what gets Perreault out of bed and into the fire of the kitchen every day. “I think every day brings new challenges. We don’t only do catering, so it’s not only that. I think for me, there is every day challenges in running a business and making people happy and solving problems.”

Setting down a foundation at the Bridge Bistro


The Fernie Ghostriders are wearing pink for the

month of October to support breast cancer awareness.

Join the auction to take home one of these limited edition jerseys and raise money for Fernie's own cancer support network.

Visit www.fernieghostriders.com for details on how to place a bid in the silent auction, with all proceeds going to Fernie Friends for Friends.

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2014 FERNIE COMMUNITY & BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS SPONSORS

THANK YOUTO THE

GOLD LEVEL SPONSORSHIP- CBT, FAR, BC Hydro, GPI Accountants, ISL Engineering and Land Services

SILVER LEVEL SPONSORSHIP- Best Western Fernie Mountain Lodge, Fernie Brewing Company, City of Fernie, Community Futures East Kootenay, EK Employment, Finning, Tourism Fernie, Free Press

BRONZE LEVEL SPONSORSHIP- The Bridge Bistro

PROUND SUPPORTER SPONSOR- TD Canada Trust, Rockies Law, Gearhub, Claris Media, Park Place Lodge, Fernie Real Estate, Goldstar Cleaning, ION Integrity Consulting Ltd, Grow, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

special features - small business month 2014

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small business

annual community awards

storefront retail business

fernie retail sector

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