The Bracebridge Chamber of Commerce went back 100 years to celebrate all the good businesses have done over the past two years.
“It was wonderful to see people face to face and just celebrate everything that the businesses have gone through in the past two years,”
says Brenda Rhodes, Executive Director of the chamber.
The theme of the 27th Annual Outstanding Bracebridge Business Achievement Awards was the 1920s. The chamber went all out in presenting the ceremony: they rented the Muskoka Foundry at 101 Entrance Dr., a building that was created in 1904 and used as a linen mill and metal fabrication factory. The attendees even got in on the act. The majority of people that showed up were dressed up as if they were in the ’20s.
“I am always thrilled to work at the chamber and be working alongside the businesses,” Rhodes says.
The night’s winners were:
- Climb Muskoka for New Business of the Year
- The Old Station Restaurant for Established Business of the Year
- Justis Remouche with Blue’s Sweet Treats Muskoka for Young Entrepreneur of the Year
- Paws of the North Rescue for Best Home Based Business of the Year
- El Pueblito for Service Providor of the Year
- Cut Floral for Excellent Customer Service
- Santa’s Village for Tourism
- Hive Muskoka for Accessibility
- Warren Dix with Big River Baking Co. for Male Business Person of the Year
- Dr. Kersti Kents with Medical Aesthetics of Muskoka for Female Business Person of the Year
- Guy Gagnon with Gagnon’s Your Independent Grocer for Outstanding Contribution to Bracebridge
Gagnon, who passed away suddenly in March, was represented by his long-time second-in-command at the grocery store Angela Gregor. She worked alongside Gagnon for nearly four decades.
Richard Borland, past president of the chamber, and Paul Mascarin, who sits on the chamber’s board, were both good friends of Gagnon’s and presented the award to Gregor. The pair said Gagnon put the community first but never liked to take credit for his good deeds. “He kept it quiet,” Mascarin said.
He continued that Gagnon wasn’t someone who told people what to do. Mascarin said Gagnon was always there alongside his employees helping them. That, he said, was evident around Christmas time. Gagnon and his wife Judy would host holiday dinners at the store for those without their family. Mascarin said Gagnon missed his daughter’s “first 17 Christmases” in order to help prepare for the event.
Borland added that Gagnon volunteered his time with so many organizations in Bracebridge from the sports teams to the many not-for-profits.
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses weren’t able to celebrate milestone birthdays. “We know that businesses, more than likely, didn’t get a chance to get together and celebrate properly,” Rhodes says.
A display was set up in the middle of the foundry to honour the businesses that weren’t able to celebrate milestones. One of those businesses was 99.5 Moose FM which turned 25 in 2021.
“These businesses have just gone through so many ups and downs and figured out a way to innovate and change and move forward,” Rhodes says.