The Boundary Sentinel takes home 2012 Community Entrepreneur of the Year Award
By Erin Perkins
Editor and owner of The Boundary Sentinel, Mona Mattei, was one of eight local businesses and organizations recognized at the annual Community Futures Boundary 2012 Community Awards at a special evening celebration, Tuesday, Oct. 23 held at the Grand Forks Curling Rink.
About 100 people attended the event, which recognized both outstanding business and non-profit achievements over the past year.
“Small businesses are the key to our economy and they drive our economy,” said Boundary-Simikalmeen MLA John Slater during the awards ceremony.
Slater continued on to say local businesses need to provide the province with their valuable input to help design future small business policy.
“Your own ideas, principles and feedback are really important to the province,” he said.
The first award of the evening, the 2012 Community Entrepreneur of the Year, was shared by Mona Mattei of The Boundary Sentinel and Roger and Donna Soviskov of Jogas.
“It’s always an honour to be recognized by your community when you work on behalf of that same community,” said Mattei in a private interview after the presentation.
“The Sentinel has certainly worked hard to be the heartbeat of the Boundary while challenging readers to consider different points of view. It’s great to know that our readers appreciate our dedication! I have to recognize the excellent journalism from Erin Perkins and Les Johnson’s support with GFTV that make the Sentinel shine, I certainly could not have done this last year without them.”
The Boundary Sentinel has been serving the Boundary area as an alternative news source for three years.
Other award winners included Robert Yemm and Deborah Lauzon of Y&R Water Sales and Service for 2012 Business of the Year; Bob and Lucinda Dupee of Wildways in Christina Lake won the 2012 Green Business Award, which is sponsored by The Boundary Sentinel; Boundary Country Regional Chamber of Commerce won the 2012 Innovative Community Organization Award; the 2012 Continued Success in Micro Business Award went to Ted Larson for his quality window cleaning service; the Youth in Business Award went to Cassie Foxley of Kootenay Occassions/Pyro Pizza; the Continuing Success Award was given to Ken Starchuck of Kootenay Car Care; the 2012 Continued Success Community Impact Award was given to Notary Public Kay Louise Currier; the 2012 Volunteer of the Year is Lyle Burt of Boundary Security Services Ltd.; and the Commitment to Excellence in Learning Award was shared by Dylan Zorn and Sandy Elzinga.
