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Tolko Industries named business of the year at Williams Lake chamber awards

The gala was held at Thompson Rivers University Williams Lake Campus

Tolko Industries Ltd. was named Business of the Year at the Williams Lake and District Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards gala held Saturday, Nov. 12.

The award was sponsored by Community Futures and every nominee for all the categories was considered for the award.

Other award winners included:

Schickworks Signs and Stitches - Greatest Improvement/Adaptability Award, sponsored by PMT.

Walk-Rite Shoes - Retail Experience Award, sponsored by RBC Royal Bank.

Sugar Cane Cannabis - Newsmaker of the Year Award, sponsored by the Williams Lake Tribune.

Red Tomato Pies - Production and Manufacturing Award, sponsored by Mueller Electric Div II Ltd.

The Historic Chilcotin Lodge - Tourism Excellence Award, sponsored by Cariboo Chilcotin Tourism Association.

Women’s Contact Society - Not For Profit Award, sponsored by Mike Austin Financial Services Ltd.

The Bean Counter Bistro and Coffee - Service Excellence Award, sponsored by the Williams Lake and District Credit Union.

City councillor and business owner Scott Nelson received the Hugo Stahl Memorial Award, sponsored by the city of Williams Lake. The award recognizes people who have dedicated time and resources to improving Williams Lake area and encourages volunteerism.

Brian Goodrich received the Ken Wilson Memorial Award, sponsored by the chamber. Wilson was a long-time volunteer with the chamber and many other organizations in the community.

Held at Thompson Rivers University, the gym was decorated for the Roaring 20s theme, which provided a perfect backdrop as most of the people in attendance wore outfits to match the era.

“I think people are so glad to be attending this event after a couple of years,” Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Doerkson said of the fact the gala was cancelled during the pandemic. Doerkson was the MC for the night.

Chamber president Paul French thanked the committee for organizing the gala.

“They outdid themselves,” he said of the decorations.

The city’s new mayor Surinderpal Rathor said it was an honour to attend.

“You are the backbone - our business people,” he said.

Karen Eden, executive director of Community Futures gave a ‘shout out to all the entrepreneurs.

“Without you we wouldn’t be here,” Eden said.

Chamber executive director Jason Ryll said it was the 25th business excellence awards, adding they went the with theme because it was the first one in the 2020s due to it being cancelled during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CJ’s Southwestern Grill provided the dinner, which was sponsored by Williams Lake First Nation.

There was a silent auction and an hour of audience-participation entertainment at the hands of Eric Samuels, a mentalist from the Lower Mainland.



Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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