Chamber presents business awards

The program featured eight award categories, including business person of the year, which went to Jim MacLeod of Spears and MacLeod Pharmasave.

A familiar face in the downtown business community for many years who has been involved in numerous causes and organizations, MacLeod – a former town councillor – received a standing ovation when he was presented with the business-of-the-year award near the conclusion of the Nov. 18 ceremony.

Don Hamilton of Hamilton’s Fine Clothing and Richard Theriault of Saulnierville Pharmacy Ltd. also were finalists for business person of the year.

Sylvia Hoben-Fougere of Tooie’s Country Crafts received the award for female entrepreneur of the year. (Her name was inadvertently omitted from the list of award winners in the story about the chamber’s awards night on page 30 of this week’s print edition of The Vanguard.)

The first of the evening’s awards – this one recognizing community service – went to Chris Perry and Ray Zinck of Radio CJLS.

The export achievement award went to Jules LeBlanc of Ocean Leader Fisheries Ltd.

The environmental service award – new this year to the chamber’s business award lineup – went to Charles Poole of Charles Poole Scrap Metal Removal and Recycling.

The business marketing award was presented to Cameron Nightingale of L & N Signs.

Guy Surette of Tusket Ultra Mart received the customer service award.

Jennifer Surette of Collins Street Wellness Center received the award for youth entrepreneur of the year.

This was the fourth year for the chamber’s business awards, which were presented at the Grand Hotel.

The evening’s speakers included Yarmouth Mayor Phil Mooney, who noted many of the events that have been held in the Yarmouth area over the past year and how the town and other municipal units are working on issues of importance to the local business community, including transportation.

Picking up on the theme of transportation, Jim Greig, the chamber’s executive director, cited the chamber’s long history of advocating for local transportation needs.

Greig noted too the long history of the chamber itself, the organization having been incorporated in 1896. It was originally known as the Yarmouth Board of Trade.