24 May 2018 Spring AGM, Dinner & Awards Gala Press Release
C.H. Boudreau Funeral Earns Top Honors at Strait Area Chamber of Commerce Spring AGM, Dinner & Awards Gala
May 23, 2018
The Strait Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their Annual General Meeting and Awards Gala on May 23rd, where Norma and Herman Boudreau of C.H. Boudreau Funeral Home in Arichat took home the prestigious Jack Harterty Memorial Lifetime Achievement in Business Award! The award, named for Jack Hartery who was a long-time member of the leadership team at the Point Tupper Paper Mill, was established in 2003 with Joe Shannon as the inaugural recipient.
Norma and Herman Boudreau were thrilled to accept the award with a large group of family and friends among the over 200 attendees. Their business has grown over 42 years of operation, including the major milestone in 1987 when they opened a new and modern facility overlooking the historic Arichat Harbour. In accepting the award, Norma attributed the success of their business to the support of their family, staff and community.
Blaise MacEachern receiving the Kevin Beaton Heart of the Community Award was also a highlight of the evening. Blaise has dedicated many years to the development of a sustainable trail system in Inverness County and throughout Nova Scotia. Blaise noted that the success of the Celtic Shores Coastal Trail is due to efforts of the 5 Trails Community Groups in Inverness and the 100+ volunteers who have worked tirelessly to create one of Nova Scotia’s foremost destination trails.
Additional honors went to Loretta Gould who took home the Cultural Award of Merit and had her beautiful artwork on display. Jeremy Murray was recognized with the Chamber’s Leadership Award bursary for NSCC students. This year’s President’s Award went to Allana Richardson to recognize her commitment to the community and to the Chamber of Commerce, particularly with Celtic Oktoberfest, the Chamber’s largest event celebrating the emerging craft brew sector.
During the AGM portion of the evening, the Chamber elected their board of directors for 2018/19. Richie Mann returned as President; he’ll be supported by an Executive Committee including David Hart of NuStar as Past President, Heidi MacInnis of Port Hawkesbury Paper as Vice President, Beth Groom of St. Joseph’s Credit Union as Treasurer, and Diana Poirier of the ROC Society as Secretary. Eleven additional regular board members and six ex-official members were also elected to guide the efforts of the Chamber over the next year (board member list).
Amanda Mombourquette, Executive Director of the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce captured the theme of the evening well, “our AGM celebrations are about recognizing the people and businesses who form the foundations of our communities; the contributions they make to our economy are invaluable. Our Board of Directors and our Chamber members represent communities all across the Strait Region and we are a stronger voice for business because of their commitment.”
The Strait Area Chamber of Commerce 2018 Spring AGM, Dinner and Awards Gala was sponsored by Port Hawkesbury Paper, MacLeod Lorway, the Town of Port Hawkesbury, 1015 The Hawk, and Sound Source Pro Audio and Lighting.
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