Bullocks, Co-op, Cabin Radio among YK business award winners

The Co-op grocery store became Yellowknife’s large business of the year as the city’s chamber of commerce handed out its annual awards at an event spread across three locations.

A live video ceremony connected attendees at the Copperhouse, Top Knight, and Stake restaurants on Friday evening. This year’s honours were renamed the Business Resilience Awards, recognizing the impact of the pandemic on city businesses.

Bullocks Bistro, which rolled out online ordering for its condiments as one way of adapting to Covid-19 closures this spring, won this year’s innovation award.

Cabin Radio was named small business of the year while also receiving awards for the station’s impact on the community and customer service. According to the chamber, the station is the first business to win multiple awards in the same year in the event’s seven-year history.

This year’s awards were decided by online vote. In the past, award winners have been selected from a shortlist by a jury. (This year’s full lists of nominees and winners are shown below.)

Dene Wellness Warriors won the Indigenous entrepreneurship award, the Copperhouse restaurant won the new business award, and Juniper Health picked up young entrepreneur of the year.

Bella Dance Academy won the workplace health and safety award, which has taken on added importance in the past seven months, for the strength of the academy’s Covid-19 mitigation planning.

Etandah Organic Day Spa won the women in business award.

In full: Nominees and winners

Resilient Small Business Of The Year Award, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada

• Barren Ground Coffee
• Bella Dance Academy
• Blachford Lake Lodge & Wilderness Resorts
• Cabin Radio – winner
• Charlotte Henry Design
• CloudWorks
• Created by Nana
• Etandah Organic Day Spa
• Juniper Health
• Stanley Fitness & Boxing
• The Medicine Shoppe Yellowknife
• Tundra Transfer
• Yellowknife Sportfishing Adventures
• YK Gold & Silver

Resilient Large Business Of The Year Award, sponsored by the Business Development Bank of Canada

• De Beers Group
• Det’on Cho Management LP / Det’on Cho Group
• Diavik Diamond Mines (2012) Inc.
• NNSL Media
• Rochdi’s Your Independent Grocer
• Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-Op Ltd – winner

Indigenous Entrepreneurship Resiliency Award, sponsored by Northland Utilities

• Dene Wellness Warriors – winner
• Det’on Cho Management LP / Det’on Cho Group

Customer Service Award of Excellence, sponsored by De Beers Group

• Bella Dance Academy
• Cabin Radio – winner
• Created by Nana
• Etandah Organic Day Spa
• NNSL Media
• Rochdi’s Your Independent Grocer
• Stanley Fitness & Boxing
• TD Canada Trust
• The Medicine Shoppe Yellowknife
• Tundra Transfer
• Yellowknife Sportfishing Adventures
• Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-Op Ltd
• YK Gold & Silver

Community Impact Award, sponsored by Northwest Territories Power Corporation

• Blachford Lake Lodge & Wilderness Resorts
• Cabin Radio – winner
• De Beers Group
• Dene Wellness Warriors
• NNSL Media
• Rochdi’s Your Independent Grocer
• Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-Op Ltd

Resilient New Business Award

• Anytime Fitness
• Copperhouse Eatery & Lounge – winner
• Kristen Au Marketing
• North Creative
• Re/Max North of 60 Realty
• Savannah’s Family Restaurant
• YZF Tech Repairs

Resilient Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Award

• Jackpine Paddle
• Juniper Health – winner
• YK Gold & Silver

Workplace Health & Safety Award

• Bella Dance Academy – winner
• De Beers Group
• Rochdi’s Your Independent Grocer
• TD Canada Trust
• Tundra Transfer

Resilient Women in Business Award, sponsored by the City of Yellowknife

• A-List Organizing
• Created by Nana
• Etandah Organic Day Spa – winner
• Outcrop Communications Ltd

Innovation Award of Excellence

• 62 Degrees North Inc
• Bella Dance Academy
• Bullocks Bistro – winner
• CloudWorks
• Etandah Organic Day Spa
• NNSL Media
• Yellowknife Direct Charge Co-Op Ltd
• YK Gold & Silver