Our Chamber members have been cleaning up with Canada, Ontario and Muskoka-wide awards. Let’s celebrate their success together. Email them a congratulatory note — our community cheers each other on!

RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award Winner
Jayne McCaw of Jayne’s Cottages was one of three Start Up Award finalists at the RBC Women Entrepreneur Awards November 20 – and she won!

Jayne McCaw at RBC Women of Influence Awards November 20, 2019

The RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards recognize female business owners from across Canada who make impressive and substantial contributions to the local, Canadian or global economy. This was a record-breaking year for the program with over 9,000 nominations from across the country.

Congratulations, Jayne. The Chamber was pleased to have written letters of support for Jayne’s nomination. See picture of her with her award at right. Learn more about Jayne’s Cottages >

Ontario Business Achievement Award for Innovation Winner

The Chamber nominated the Muskoka Lakes Farm and Winery for innovation for the way the team there has transformed the business into an iconic tourism destination (as well as being a great cranberry farm and winery).

We were thrilled to be at the Ontario Economic Summit/Ontario Business Achievement Awards in Toronto on November 14 to see them announced as the winner of this prestigious honour.

Jean-Ann Baranik accepts award from CPA Ontario Chair Anita Ferrari

Picture at left shows Jean-Ann Baranik, the farm’s Retail and Customer Experience Manager, accepting the Innovation award sponsored by CPA Ontario (Chartered Professional Accountants). Read more about that win here >

ADVOCATING FOR BUSINESS CLIMATE IMPROVEMENTS
As well as the awards, your Chamber was invited to an exclusive round table with Attorney General Doug Downey and associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, Prabmeet Sarkaria. We raised concerns about staff shortages due to lack of housing, and about regulations that make it hard for our region to build attainable housing. We also spoke to the ongoing need for

Our Chamber Executive Director Norah Fountain (second from left) joined round table with business leaders and Ontario MPPs at the Ontario Economic Summit

more competitive Internet and support for partners such as the Ontario Centres of Excellence to help our businesses get the resources they need to innovate. It was a productive meeting. Our Chamber belonging to the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (and Canadian Chamber) opens up these advocacy opportunities we might not get on our own.

CANADA’S BEST RESORT SPA – RIGHT HERE IN MUSKOKA LAKES
JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa is celebrating as well. Spa Rosseau has been awarded Canada’s Best Resort Spa for 2019 by the voters of the World Spa Awards. And that’s not all. It was also selected as one of the Top 25 Spas in Canada in the 2019 Canadian Spa & Wellness Awards.  Check out their award-winning spa >

Muskoka Award Winners – Reader’s Choice 
Honours for members of our business community just keep coming.

Here’s a list of Chamber members who won Reader’s Choice Awards from the Bracebridge Examiner/Gravenhurst Banner for being best in their categories. Congrats, everyone!

  • Crib Doctors
  • Red Barn Antiques
  • Santa’s Village
  • Muskoka Brewery
  • RMS Segwun
  • The Kee
  • Gravenhurst Opera House
  • Muskoka Discovery Centre
  • Bala Cranberry Festival
  • Clear Lake Brewing Co
  • Stephen’s Butcher Shop
  • Field of Greens
  • Busy Lizzie
  • Your Local HVAC Team
  • Port Carling Home Hardware
  • Simply Cottage
  • That Blue Tub
  • Lee Plumbing
  • Muskoka Window and Door Centre
  • Muskoka Lumber
  • Saunders and Welch
  • AW Shiers Insurance Brokers
  • Kawartha Credit Union
  • Scotiabank
  • TD Canada Trust
  • JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa
  • Sherwood Inn
  • Pride Marine Group
  • SWS Marina
  • Sublime Graphics
  • Richard Wallace Real Estate
  • Port Carling Mini Storage
  • Clear Water Property Management
  • Crossroads
  • Mrs. H’s Fish & Chips
  • PIE Woodfired Pizza
  • Brown’s Appliances
  • The Brick
  • Staples

INDIVIDUAL WINNERS

  • Cam Perro (Best General Contractor)
  • Leslie McCann (Best Mortgage Broker)
  • Brendan O’Brien (Best Painter)
  • Bruce Reville (Best Real Estate Agent-Gold)

To see all winners of Reader’s Choice awards from our Chamber member Metroland (that publishes the Gravenhurst Banner and Bracebridge Examiner), click here >

Has your business won an award recently? Let us know about it so we can shout it from the rooftops, too!