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EDITORIAL: Comox Valley award recipients show their quality

The rest of the world is noticing our beautiful little valley out here on the edge of the world.

The rest of the world is noticing our beautiful little valley out here on the edge of the world.

• Quality Foods in Courtenay was named top grocer in the country by the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers and QF Comox got an award of merit.

Besides offering an excellent shopping experience, QF Courtenay was honoured for its strong and consistent participation in community activities.

Manager Dan Gigliotti praised his staff for going "above and beyond" every day. That’s undoubtedly true, but the tone always flows from the top.

• Andrew MacMillan of Harbour Air and the Vancouver Island Visitor Centre received Tourism Vancouver Island Awards.

MacMillan, who works out of Comox, received the Tourism Employee of the Year Award. While working for the airline, he’s a tireless advocate for the Valley.

The visitor centre earned the Tourism Sustainability Award for minimizing its environmental impact, conserving natural resources, respecting local cultures and benefiting local communities.

Tourism is vital to our economic health and it’s great to see outside recognition.

• Lourdes Gant was named one of Canada’s top 100 female entrepreneurs by two prominent Canadian magazines.

She’s vice-president of Manatee Holdings, which harvests geoduck clams and sea cucumbers from wild fisheries. Since 2008, Gant has helped the company realize 77-per-cent revenue growth.

• The Swinkey, a training tool invented by Sunnydale golf Club instructor Brian Benedictson, earned a Golf Europe Product Award in the training aids category.

Along with Canada and the U.S., his product is making inroads in Europe, Asia and Australia. Nearly 100 players on the PGA tour use it.

• Charlene Gray, who works at Tigger Too Preschool in Comox, earned a Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education.

Well done, award winners, and thank you for positively raising the Comox Valley’s profile.

editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com