The 2024 SCBEX Awards had no shortage of show-stopping moments.
Plenty of people walked away with a sense of accomplishment, and all of them walked away grateful for the recognition of their peers.
Perhaps the greatest moment of the night belonged to Devon Oman, who won the Community Impact Award. His win comes after six consecutive nominations.
“It’s crazy that I’m a winner! Finally! I’m still shaking ’cause I did not expect to win,” said Oman. “I did not write a script (speech) because I just never expected to win this award. It’s a huge honour.”
Shortly after Oman had a chance to settle into the realization of his award, came another shocking moment. Karla Wiens, who has been the CEO of the Swift Current & District Chamber of Commerce since 2017, announced that she will be retiring at the end of the fiscal year.
“It’s a little bittersweet,” said Wiens at the end of the night. “It was a real treat to be in the audience, and to see people’s faces instead of the backs of their heads. There were some emotional moments up there this evening, which was really heartwarming. It was a real pleasure to sit in the audience.”
Shining as bright were the winners of the other SCBEX Awards. One of the most exciting was Revolution Automotive, as Brandi Baron and Montana Gamel were awarded the Start-Up/ New Business Award. This award is something that proves their teamwork and attention to detail are firing on all cylinders.
“I think we’re good and honest, and people like that,” said Baron. “I feel like we’re trustworthy and we make you feel like you’re part of the family. We explain what’s going on with your vehicle and we want you to be as knowledgeable as we are when we’re working on your vehicle.”
Employer of the Year went to many people’s favourite after-work hang-out spot, Original Joe’s. Owner of Original Joe’s, Tyler Wallin, attributed this award to the consideration paid to his employee’s needs.
“It’s about more than the money,” said Wallin. “It’s about the culture of the business and the restaurant and making people feel valued.”
That sentiment also went hand in hand with that of Safeway, which won the Employer of Person’s Experiencing Disabilities Award. Rod Orthner, store manager for Safeway, was glad the award helped to highlight just how much those with disabilities to the workplace.
“My son does have a disability and that’s why it means a lot to me that all these amazing businesses in the community give them an opportunity to work in the workplace,” said Orthner.
Joining the Safeway team for the evening was Cody-Lynne Lingenfelter, a member of the Safeway team who nominated them for hiring herself and others with disabilities.
“When I nominated my workplace, and I found out they were in the top three, I basically was like, ‘okay, cool’,” recalled Lingenfelter. “I never expected to, like, have this award. Being with them for five years, like Rod says, has been absolutely amazing.”
Winning the Emerging Entrepreneur Award was Dr. Jessy Eben and Dr. Amanda Franks of Bite Dental. These two founded this company straight out of medical school, opening their practice in Swift Current. While the process of achieving success wasn’t easy, the results are something they can proudly display.
“I think resilience is really important and believing in yourself and not giving up on something that you truly once knew would be a good endeavour,” said Dr. Eben.
The Not-for-Profit Award was handed to SaskAbilities – Partners in Employment. Kim Furey, acting program manager for SaskAbilities, loved how this award proves that the community reflects their values.
“It’s always nice having people come together and understand the work that we do and show their appreciation for inclusive employment in Swift Current,” said Furey.
Small Business of the Year was awarded to Irwin Films. Founder and CEO, Adler Irwin, was joined on stage to accept the award by his seven-year-old son, Axel. Built around his love for videography, his skillset and business acumen has taken him far and abroad internationally after having gotten his start in Swift Current.
“I’m a little bit lost for words, really,” said Irwin. “It’s hard to believe that my business has grown from being something that I started in my mom’s basement into being able to travel the world and bring my videography to places like the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany.”
Nightjar Diner Co. was served the Medium Business Award. Co-owner of Nightjar Diner Co., Shaun Hanna, is thrilled to see that his endeavour to elevate the culinary experience in Swift Current is being respected and rewarded.
“It’s always really nice to be awarded and recognized by your peers,” said Hanna. “I look at the other nominees in the category who do just fantastic work, another one that’s also in the same industry who does phenomenal work, and so it was really nice, and I am really chuffed to bits,” said Hanna.
Coming out on top for the Large Business of the Year was Full Line Ag. Gerald and his brother Terry Swyston, both of whom are Owners, are proud to see their business recognized in such a way that recognizes how far they have come in 25 years.
“It means a lot because in this town everybody is big and in our business everybody is big,” said Gerald. “Including our customers. We really are proud to have our staff support us in this way and get us to this level.”
Winning the Swift Current & District Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year award was Optical Image. Sasha Godenir, owner of Optical Image, had a clear vision that has since grown into the cornerstone of Swift Current’s downtown business community. This award helps to cement her business practice and her vision as a member of the business community.
“It’s always truly an honour to be recognized,” said Godenir. “It’s not the reason that anybody does the things they do in our business or the reason we go about the things the way we do, but it always feels so fantastic to be awarded and to be recognized for what you are doing.”
Finally, the Swift Current Ag & Ex was able to ride off into the sunset as the Hall of Fame Inductee for 2024. The entire board of the Agriculture and Exhibition Association was able to come out for the award, minus Tara Garcia.
Tracey Stevenson, manager of Swift Current Ag & Ex, was glad that their hard work and grit over many, many years of being an organization has been honoured in such a way.
“It encourages us to continue doing what we’re doing to also expand on what we’re doing,” said Stevenson. “I think we’re doing a good thing for our community. There’s always room for change, but there’s something about our tradition and history that’s important too.”
In total, the 26th Annual SCBEX Awards sold 280 tickets, completely selling out at the Living Sky Casino Events Centre venue.
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