Announcing the 2025 Community & Business Excellence Award Winners!

The Smithers District Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Community & Business Excellence Awards!

Held on April 5th, this year’s sold-out event brought together an incredible crowd of local leaders, entrepreneurs, volunteers, and community members to celebrate the very best of Smithers and the surrounding area. From exceptional customer service and innovative entrepreneurship to dedicated community leadership. We also had the honour of recognizing extraordinary lifetime achievements in the mining and resource sector, and longstanding community impact in reconciliation.

2025 Award Recipients

Resource, Mining & Exploration Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by Newmont
Harvey Tremblay

Community Impact Legacy Award
Sponsored by Smithers District Chamber of Commerce
Violet Marie Gellenbeck

Business of the Year
Sponsored by Interior News
Riverside Kitchen

Business Person of the Year
Sponsored by Edmison Mehr Chartered Professional Accountants
Peter & Jill Krause, McBike & Sport

Citizen/Volunteer of the Year
Sponsored by RBC Smithers
Mark deHoog

Customer Service Excellence – Business
Sponsored by Prestige Hudson Bay Lodge
Smithers Feed Store

Customer Service Excellence – Individual
Sponsored by Smithers Toyota
Wilfred Dykstra, Smithers Lumber Yard Ltd.

Excellence in Education
Sponsored by Nature’s Pantry
Heather Lee, Smithers Secondary School

Family Friendly Business of the Year
Sponsored by Bulkley Valley Credit Union
Dan’s Sports

Home-Based Business of the Year
Sponsored by Smithers Lumber Yard
Rustica Bakery

Major Contributor to Arts & Culture
Sponsored by Scotiabank
Smithers Community Radio Lounge Car Sessions, CICK

Public Service Excellence
Sponsored by Aspen Inn & Suites
Northern Lights Wildlife Society

Tourism Excellence
Sponsored by Tourism Smithers
B & T Adventures

Young Entrepreneur of the Year
TJ Perrier, OK Tire

Zero Waste Circular Economy Business of the Year
Sponsored by Riverside Kitchen
Nature’s Pantry

Resource and Mining Excellence Award
Sponsored by Rugged Edge Holdings
Smithers Exploration Group

Congratulations to all of our 2025 award recipients!
Your commitment, passion, and dedication make Smithers a better place to live, work, and thrive.