Developing plans for the municipality's future must include discussions with Sundre and surrounding area youth.
Developing plans for the municipality's future must include discussions with Sundre and surrounding area youth.
This was among the main messages shared on Friday night by Mike Beukeboom, Sundre and District Chamber of Commerce president, during the Sundre Business Awards.
"We are making an absolute huge effort to start to create an inclusive conversation with the youth in this community," he said at the Sundre Community Centre in his address to a crowd of more than 100 people following this year's presentations.
"We really need to start talking to youth and not just do a quick little survey at the high school...but hear from them two, three, and five years from now once they've gone out in the world, and let us know what they'd like to see happening in this community to make it better."
Also offering some thoughts were mayor Terry Leslie as well as MLA Jason Nixon, who presented the Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, which Nixon sponsors, to winner Jordan Gallais, a Sundre High School student whose successful custom bead designed ball caps are currently on back order.
"I've really always been inspired by the quality and the talent of our young people right here at home," he said, adding their achievements should be recognized.
The mayor said the number of nominations was impressive, especially the roughly dozen names that were brought forward for the Best Employee category.
"All of the folks who have been recognized and nominated here tonight, you make our community," said Leslie.
"It's great to see everybody here tonight," said Nixon. "It really shows how involved our local businesses are in the community and please know that you are the backbone of our community. Not just as employers and businesses, but the volunteer work that you do that is really part of the social safety net of our community."
Previously held at the Sundre Arts Centre, the annual business celebration and recognition event's attendance had over the past few years grown to the point organizers decided a larger venue would be more suitable.
Beukeboom also stressed the importance of beginning conversations about a second bridge and future hospital with neighbouring municipalities as well as the province to avoid getting sidestepped by the government in the long run.
"There are some really big issues and some big challenges — and yet some very exciting challenges — coming forward," he said, adding growth will be inevitable as the population in and around Calgary swells over the coming decades to almost two and a half million from more than one million.
"If we have the conversations now, we can determine and we can steer what that growth is going to look like…so we can always keep our small town appeal and our small town feel and yet grow in a responsible and proactive way."
Sundre Business Awards 2017 winners
Best New Business
Sundre Family Pharmacy
Best Legacy Business
Sundre Home Hardware
Best in Customer Service
Twisted Pantry Catering
Business of the Year 1-10 employees
Tranquility Day Spa
Business of the Year 11-plus employees
Sundre Home Hardware
Young Entrepreneur of the Year
Jordan Gallais
Farm Operation
The Overguard farm
Employee of the Year
Adrienne Beck
Chamber Volunteer of the Year
Jamie Marr
Presidents Award
ATB Financial Sundre branch
