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Business Notes: Chemainus hotel earns honour for customer care

The Best Western Hotel in Chemainus was honoured for excellence at a recent award ceremony, held in Spokane, Wash.

ROBERT BARRON CITIZEN

The Best Western Hotel in Chemainus was honoured for excellence at a recent award ceremony, held in Spokane, Wash.

The hotel received the Champion Customer Care and the Champion RevPAR awards at the ceremony, hosted by Best Western Hotels & Resorts at its meeting of of almost 300 Best Western hotels from the west of Canada and the U.S.

The Champion Customer Care Award is given to those Best Western hotels in the region that best exemplifies exceptional levels of service and care.

The Champion RevPAR is earned by the hotel in the region that has done the best in increasing its occupancy rates and revenues, while developing good customer service at the same time.

Peter Watts, who has been the general manager of the Best Western in Chemainus for four years, said that while the hotel has won awards before, this is the first time that it has taken home two such prestigious awards at the same time.

“It’s because we have a great team with a great focus on customer relations here in Chemainus,” he said.

“What’s important for me is that these awards are based on feedback from our customers and guests.”

Couple claim business of the year honours

Liz and Lance Steward won the Business of the Year Award at the Duncan Business Improvement Area Society’s President’s Awards ceremony.

The couple are celebrating 25 and 10 years of downtown success with Just Jakes and the Craig Street Brew Pub respectively.

Howlett and Chris Manley, from Resthouse, took home the New Business of the Year award at the ceremony, and the DBIAS’s Ana Francisco won the Spirit of Excellence Award.

Jeff Downie, owner of GallowGlass Books and the Old Firehouse Wine Bar, won the Shirley McGuiness Memorial Award.

Cowichan buildings up for commercial awards

A number of buildings in the Cowichan Valley are among the 40 finalists in 12 categories in the ninth annual Vancouver Island Real Estate Board Commercial Buildings Awards.

This year’s awards celebrate the best in commercial, community, and industrial buildings north of the Malahat which were completed in 2015.

The finalists from Duncan are the Blue Grouse Winery, Island Chevrolet GM, Kenneth Park, Parhar Business Park and Peerless Road.

2400 Smiley Rd. in Chemainus, Crofton’s The Mews Over Osborne Bay, Mill Bay’s Brentwood College Hope House, North Cowichan’s Peaks Coffee, Cowichan Bay’s The Cannery and Ladysmith’s Coldstar are also finalists.

“Congratulations to all the finalists,” said awards chairman Derek Constantino.

“We are looking forward to seeing you all at the awards gala on April 21 at the Coast Bastion Inn in Nanaimo.”

Ladysmith firm captures several VIBE awards

GNB Builders Inc. in Ladysmith won in a number of categories at the 2016 VIBE Awards, held in Nanaimo last weekend. The awards showcase the best in residential construction, design and renovation on Vancouver Island and are recognized as the Island’s premier residential housing awards program.

GNB Builders took top honours along with partner The Gales Development for The Gales, as well as winning in the Best Single Family Kitchen category, along with project partner Katherine Hildebrand Design, for Maison de Campagne.

GNB Builders also won in the Best Any Room category, also along with project partner Katherine Hildebrand for Maison de Campagne.

Society receives $4K from endowment fund

The Cowichan Lake and River Stewardship Society will receive $4,000 from the Island Savings Community Endowment Fund.

The funding is part of $70,000 the ISCEF earmarked for 17 Island charities that promote resilient and sustainable communities.

The Lake Cowichan-based non-profit society will use the $4,000 to support work-experience opportunities associated with the shoreline stewardship program, a project that educates students and community members living on or near the water about the importance of rebuilding or maintaining a healthy, natural and bio-diverse waterfront.

“Island Cavings is passionate about investing in its communities,” said Randy Bertsch. president of Island Savings.