Local and regional businesses won provincial acclaim Wednesday.
They were named as winners of this year's B.C. Aboriginal Business Awards. Premier Christy Clark and BC Achievement Foundation chair Keith Mitchell made the announcements.
The award based closest to Prince George was Falcon Contracting Ltd., which shared the Outstanding Achievement trophy with E and K Construction of Hope.
The next companies in proximity to Prince George were Taba Enterprises Ltd. of Fort St. James in the Business of the Year (10 Employees or More) category and the McLeod Lake Indian Band's Duz Cho Logging Ltd. which won the Community-Owned Business of the Year trophy.
Other winners from the north included Bizzybody Events of Fort St. John, Kyahwood Forest Products of Smithers, and Black Diamond Cygnus of Fort Nelson, winning three of the six Outstanding Achievement awards presented this year.
A northerner also won perhaps the most prestigious of the citations. The Individual Achievement award was bestowed to chief councillor Garry Reece of the Lax Kw'alaams Band at Port Simpson (north of Prince Rupert).
"The British Columbia Aboriginal Business Awards showcase the continuing positive impact Aboriginal business has on British Columbia's economic development," said Premier Clark. "The young people, businesses, joint ventures and community-owned endeavours recognized today exemplify the entrepreneurial spirit of the Aboriginal community."
"From trades, construction and forestry to aerial surveying, technology and fisheries, the 2012 BC Aboriginal Business Awards showcase the Aboriginal business community and its accomplishments," added Mitchell. "On behalf of the BC Achievement Foundation, I would like to extend my congratulations to these deserving enterprises."
There were six other winners announced, handed out to companies and firms elsewhere in the province.
All will be brought together for a formal ceremony and gala event on Nov. 26 at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver.
The B.C. Aboriginal Business Awards were launched in 2008. After a shortlist of nominees is made, winners are selected by a panel of distinguished aboriginal business people, with the board of the B.C Achievement Foundation picking the individual achievement category.
