April is awards season for our local business community. It’s when the Hamilton and Flamborough Chambers of Commerce (HCOC & FCOC) recognize the above and beyond dedication and achievements of hometown entrepreneurs.
We are pleased to celebrate several Waterdown BIA members who were nominated for, and/or won Outstanding Business Awards (OBAs) and Hamilton BIA Awards of Excellence. Interesting fact, all but two of the FCOC OBA nominees were BIA businesses! Please join us in congratulating the following BIA members.
2024 BIA Award of Excellence Winners
Façade Improvement Award
The Firehall Dentist
Doctors Heidi Kunz and Stephen Dyment pay meticulous attention to keeping their Main St. S. property looking great. Last year, they undertook an exterior renovation, with new colours and a beautiful new entryway. Thanks to the Firehall Dentist team for keeping the sparkle on the corner of Main and Barton.
Community Partner Award
Waterdown Dancers Inc.
Studio owners, Julie Vollick and Megan Calligan, value the relationships they’ve built with dance families and the community at large and are always ready to jump in enthusiastically whenever asked to support local events and programs. Thank you WDI for sharing your energy, spirit and some awesome moves for the benefit of the community.
Hamilton Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Awards
Small Business Nominee
Birmingham Consulting Inc.
You know you’re doing lots of things right when your business is nominated two years running for an HCOC outstanding small business award. Congratulations to everyone on the Birmingham team for your commitment to supporting clients and keeping their cyber worlds safe.
Flamborough Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Business Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
Jayne Scala, Dairy Queen
Jayne’s love of community and kids, and the pride she has in her team, are evident in everything she says and everything she does. The Waterdown DQ team has brought countless smiles to this community and it all starts with Jayne’s bottomless cone of goodness. Thank you, Jayne, for being an integral part of the business community and congratulations on this much deserved award.
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Winner
Ward Misener, M&M Quality Home Appliances
A second-generation family-owned and operated business, Ward expanded the M&M Quality Home Appliance business in 2023 to fill a new 2,400+ sq. ft. showroom. The success and growth of the business is a direct result of Ward’s entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to service excellence and his core belief in giving back to the community.
Small Business Award Winner
CBY Academy of Performing Arts
Christian Bell-Young, Karen Bell-Young, Bree McLean Roberts
What started as a home-based business has grown to take residence on two floors of the heritage building at 21 Mill Street with rehearsal spaces, a recording studio and new in 2023 – a performance hall. The CBY team works hard to build a supportive, inclusive academy culture where aspiring singers, musicians, songwriters, dancers and actors have access to the best resources for pursuing the performing arts.
Entrepreneur of the Year Award Nominee
Jitterbug Cafe
Owner Lori Grundy purchased the Jitterbug Café just ahead of the pandemic. Her tenacity and giving spirit paid off in customer loyalty that ensured Café doors remained open. The cafe continues to thrive post pandemic, with a well-earned reputation for being a welcoming ‘go-to’ community meeting space.
Small Business Award Nominees
Rustic Daisy’s
Owner Cat McCrimmon has created a warm and welcoming retail space in the core of Waterdown Village where Canadian and locally-made products and handcrafted items take centre stage. Cat continually introduces innovative ideas to meet customer needs in a rapidly changing retail environment.
Expedia Cruises
Shawna Curtin Weatherill and the Expedia Cruises team are thrilled to journey with their clients to map out exciting and memorable travel adventures. They’ve served the Waterdown community for the past ten years, sharing their knowledge, expertise and lived experiences to ensure trip planning is smooth sailing all the way.
Community Service Award Nominee
Waterdown Dancers’ Inc
In addition to winning the BIA Award of Excellence Award for their community involvement, Julie and Megan were also nominated for an FCOC Community Service Award. When you see local events high kick into high gear, you can bet it’s because WDI dancers have sashayed onto the scene.
