Our 2020 COVID-19 Local Leaders Award Winners were announced October 20th 2020.
The following short films each introduce one of our Winners as we highlight the work they did to adapt and adjust in response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We encourage owners, managers or staff of businesses or other organizations in North Vancouver to consider how each of our winners responded and look to them as examples of leadership.
The NV Chamber is proud to bring the power of community to your screens. Please enjoy these stories and continue to generously support local business.
Congratulations and thanks to our winners!
Innovation/Switching Gears Award
Winner: Thomas FX Thomas FX is a special effects company for the local film industry. When businesses had to shut down, they pivoted from making artificial snow, ash, etc. for film sets to focusing on how they could help others in the film industry efficiently sanitize their workplaces.
Award of Excellence
Winner: Lonsdale Quay Hotel The entire Lonsdale Quay Hotel team have gone above and beyond for the community during the pandemic. Hotel Manger Farah Steen captured it so well in a recent CTV interview when she noted that she felt it was the hotel’s responsibility to step in and help the community where they have been in business for over 30 years.
Service Excellence Award
Winner: Live Well Exercise Clinic Live Well Exercise Clinic specializes in exercise for people with medical needs. The Live Well team were quick to realize that while the gym might be closed, their clients had special needs that still needed support. They rapidly transitioned their business to online training to maintain contact with their clients and ensure the progress they had made could continue.
Young Business Leader Award
Winner: Sons of Vancouver Sons of Vancouver is a local small batch distillery. In response to COVID, they were able to quickly adjust their distilling process to produce hand sanitizer. They made it available for sale, and have also been generously giving it away free to the public and organizations across the region.
Community Leadership Award
Winner: Twin Lions Contracting Twin Lions Contracting took available staff downtime during COVID and donated countless hours of their expertise to work on a number of small repair and construction projects at local non-profit organisations in need. Their insight, advice and direct voluntary service supported groups like the North Shore Women’s Centre.
Inspiration Award
Winner: Zen MakerLab Zen MakerLab have made many creative changes throughout the pandemic. They shifted online to deliver important STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art & Math) classes for kids. They also used their Makerlab skills to design and custom produce masks and shields to frontline and other workplaces – many of which they provided free of charge.
Click here to read more about the Awards and each of the winners.
