Caledonia chamber adds new categories for Business Achievement Awards

After being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Caledonia Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Achievement Awards are back.

The nominations for the awards were open to the public and juried by a committee. There are over 50 finalists, and the winners will be announced by Warren Burger, who will be serving as master of ceremonies for the celebration on March 29 at the Caledonia Lions Community Centre, 100 Haddington St.

“I had no idea what to expect when we first started planning the awards; it was the best kind of overwhelming to keep up with the nominations as they came in,” said Jessica Lymburner, the chamber’s executive director.

“Reading the comments on the submissions and learning about why our community was so passionate about each business, person or organization was truly an honour. I’m excited to share that feedback with dinner attendees at the end of the month.”

Two new categories have been added this year: Best Non-Brick-and-Mortar Business Award (to promote entrepreneurs without a storefront) and the Best Place to Work Award.

Also, the Citizen of the Year Award has been renamed the Barbara Martindale Citizen of the Year Award, to honour the memory of the chamber’s late executive director.

This award is presented each year to the citizen who has significantly impacted the Caledonia area.

The other awards to be presented are the Business of the Year, New Business (this category will include businesses that opened since 2019), Outstanding Organization, Young Leader (open to Caledonia-area residents aged 35 and younger) and Carol Ritchie Scotch Thistle for tourism.

Tickets to the awards night are $55 each, or $400 for a table of eight. They can be purchased online at www.caledonia-chamber.com until March 17.

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