BC’s Top Small Businesses Honoured at 20th Anniversary Awards Gala
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
5 June 2023
British Columbia - The best of British Columbia’s small businesses were announced Friday night, June 2, at the Small Business BC Awards Gala, celebrating 20 years of honouring business excellence in our province.
The annual Small Business BC Awards is a celebration of entrepreneurship, where small businesses are recognized for their exceptional achievements and community contributions. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Small Business BC Awards.
“Small businesses are the heart of our communities and the engine of our economy. The resilience and strength these businesses have shown over the past few years is nothing short of inspiring. PacifiCan supports small businesses across the province and celebrates their growth and success,” said the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan).
“Small businesses are the backbone of our community. They provide jobs, drive innovation, and create opportunities for people living in British Columbia. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees of the Small Business BC Awards! You should all be proud of your accomplishments and everything you have done to help build a strong economy,” said the Honourable Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.
To select the winners, 613 nominees across 84 BC communities were narrowed down to the Top 5 Finalists based on more than 74,000 public votes and written responses judged by business experts. Finalists proceeded to pitch their businesses to a panel of BC business leaders, who then selected the winner of each award category.
“For twenty years, the Small Business BC Awards has offered a platform for entrepreneurs to showcase their drive and determination while receiving the recognition they so greatly deserve,” said Tom Conway, CEO of Small Business BC. “These are some of the most creative, passionate and resilient people, and it’s truly our honour to share their stories through the Small Business BC Awards.”
The Small Business BC Awards is the largest and most recognized awards program in Western Canada dedicated to entrepreneurs, with over 6000 businesses having competed in the last 20 years to be named a top small business.
2023 Small Business BC Award Winners
Each winner will be awarded with $10,000 in prize money, professional videography from Small Business BC Awards partner, True Calling, and 1 year of free advisory support from SBBC.
Premier’s People's Choice Award Winner: Leslie Hanes, Discovery Fabrics, Campbell River
This unique award category, sponsored by the Province of British Columbia, is presented to a BC-based small business that can demonstrate the unwavering and loyal support of their community.
Discovery Fabrics is a family-owned and operated business that makes high-performance fabrics, usually only available to top active and outwear brands, available to home sewists and makers. Alongside this, they educate customers on technologies that can enhance their garments. From their location in Campbell River, they send their products across North America.
“This award means a lot to us because we worked so hard to create a business that sustains our employees, satisfies our own needs and wants, and is just a great place to work,” said Leslie Hanes, owner of Discovery Fabrics.
E-Commerce Experience Award Winner: Robyn Mair and Monika Scott, Mint Cleaning, Uclulet
The E-Commerce Experience Award, sponsored by the Canada Digital Adoption Program, goes to a small business that presents a frictionless experience for their customers online.
Located in the remote community of Ucluelet, Mint Cleaning offers small-batch cleaning products that optimize results while being eco-friendly, all-natural and non-toxic.
“It means so much to be recognized as a small business, we work so hard, and we’re just so grateful and honoured that our community and customers supported us through this,” said Robyn Mair, co-founder of Mint Cleaning.
Business Impact Award Winner: Brittany and Matt Giesbrecht, The Speckled Sow Butchery & Market, Vanderhoof
Sponsored by BCAA, this award recognizes a business that has taken positive action to invest in their community and views social responsibility as an integral part of their success. The Speckled Sow is a butcher shop and market located that provides a much-needed cut and wrap service to their region for domestic and wild game.
“It goes to show that hard work, and more hard work, really do pay off. The support of your community, family and friends goes a long way,” says Matt Giesbrech, co-owner of The Speckled Sow.
Best Youth Entrepreneur Winner: Jackie Rhind and Christina Witzel, Ovry, Revelstoke
Young entrepreneurs are creating new jobs and shaping our provincial economy with their energy and ingenuity. Sponsored by Kwantlen Polytechnic University this award recognizes a business leader aged 35 and under who is succeeding.
Ovry exists to offer a better alternative to store-bought pregnancy and ovulation tests. Compared to traditional tests, Ovry strip tests are tiny, discreet, accurate, much more affordable and each test uses 90% less single-use plastic.
“Winning this award is such a motivator for us to keep building Ovry, seeing how big we can make our positive impact on as many people with ovaries as possible. We really want to thank Small Business BC for this opportunity,” said Jackie Rhind, Co-Founder & CEO, Ovry.
More information on this year’s Small Business BC Award winners can be found at smallbusinessbc.ca/awards
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Darren Dunne
About SBBC
SBBC is an independent non-profit providing holistic support for businesses throughout their entire journey. We provide affordable, universal access to expert advice, education and unbiased business resources.