| The Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce announced the finalists Friday for each category in the 2013 Annual Community Awards.
The final roster of nominees is listed below. A recognition gala will be held Jan. 25 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Florence Filberg Centre in Courtenay.
The Chamber thanks everyone who took the time to submit nominations and to the nominees who worked hard to provide supplemental information to ensure judges had sufficient background information.
Dianne Hawkins, Chamber president and CEO adds, "We are also grateful to the five volunteer judges who spent much of their time in December and over the holidays reading through the nomination packages in order to make their final selections."
The selection committee volunteers were:
• Paul Ives, Ives Burger Law Firm, Town of Comox mayor;
• Ian Whitehead, McElhanney Consulting, CVEDS president;
• Tracey McGinnis, Blinds Bubbles Boutique, CV Chamber of Commerce chair;
• Bert Heeringa, Canadian Tire, CV Chamber past director;
• Rod Hunter, Courtenay Rotary past-president.
In the coming week, videographer Daniel Kooman will visit all 31 finalists. An Academy Awards-style video presentation that showcases each business, organization and/or individual will be shown on awards night throughout the dinner service. This professional production is always a much-anticipated highlight of the evening.
Tickets to the Chamber's Unordinarily Extraordinary Wonderland-themed awards celebration are $75 each (+GST) and will include: a champagne reception, four-course gourmet meal catered by Custom Gourmet Catering, live appearance from the Queen of Hearts, silent auction with 50 per cent of the proceeds going to local charity Dawn to Dawn.
Tickets to this event always sell out. Attendees are welcome to dress with the theme in mind.
For more information, visit www.comoxvalleychamber.com or call 250-334-3234.
2013 Community Award nominees and finalists
Agricultural Business of the Year — sponsored by MNP LLP
• Black Creek Farm & Feed Supply
• Coastal Black Winery — Finalist
• Comox Valley Farmers Market — Finalist
• Pressing Matter
Business of the Year — sponsored by Thrifty Foods
• All In One party Shop
• Brian McLean Chevrolet Buick GMC
• First Insurance
• Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa Finalist
• Montreal
• Reliable Auto Body — Finalist
• St. Joseph's General Hospital — Finalist.
Citizen of the Year — sponsored by Canadian Tire
• Pamela Jolin — Finalist
• Nancy Hofer
• Andy Everson
• Bob Wells — Finalist
Customer Service — sponsored by Speedy Glass
• Wayne Ward (Grains Bakery & Bistro)
• Joe Westra (The Butcher's Block) Finalist
• Dana Marshall (Kingfisher Resort and Spa)
• Todd Marshall (Cascadia Liquor Store)
• Evan Standish (OnDeck Systems Inc) Finalist
• Adrian Merrilees (The Tee Box - Comox Golf Club)
• Leanne Wear (Hitec Printing - Brazen Sportswear)
• Nina Andersen (ORCA Marketing Group Inc)
• Meghan Walker (Customer Service Specialist) — Finalist
• Jill Rushton (Old House Hotel and Spa) — Finalist
• Miriam Patricia St-Pierre (Locals)
• Kristin Bjarnson (Samudra Weight Loss Health and Wellness)
Heritage Recognition — sponsored by Vancouver Island
• InsuranceCentres
• Lazo - Comox Valley Women's Institute
• Crown Isle Group of Companies — Finalist
• Comox Valley Food Bank Society — Finalist
• Hamilton Logging — Finalist
New Business of the Year — sponsored byPresley & Partners
• Cascadia Liquor Store — Finalist
• Halftone Pixel — Finalist
• Little Red Church
• Prime Chophouse and Wine Bar — Finalist
• Samudra Weight Loss Health & Wellness
• The Alberni Project.
Professional Merit — sponsored by First Insurance
• Dr. John McGaw — Finalist
• Eric Toneff
• Project Watershed — Finalist
• WestJet at Comox Valley Airport — Finalist.
Small Business of the Year — sponsored by Glacierview Financial
• Alano Club of Courtenay — Finalist
• Del Rio Academy of Hair and Esthetics — Finalist
• Grape Expectations
• I-Hos Gallery — Finalist
• Samudra Weight loss Health & Wellness.
Young Entrepreneur — sponsored by Wedler Engineering
• Alicia Macpherson
• Andy Eadie — Finalist
• Kat Craats
• Kory Wagstaff — Finalist
Youth Leadership — sponsored by Manatee Holdings
• Jared Heavener — Finalist
• Rachael Jancowski — Finalist
• Greg Tinga — Finalist.
President's Merit Award — sponsored by North Island College
Nominations are not accepted for this award.
— Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce
